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Reading Architects* 
Blueprints 



By 

WILLIAM S. LOWNDES, Ph. B. 

MEMBER, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS 

DIRECTOR, SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 

INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 
Parts 1-3 



274 

Published by 

INTERNATIONAL TEXTBOOK COMPANY 

SCRANTON. PA. 
i-'S. ,0 r} O - 






Reading Shop Blueprints, Parts 1, 2, 3: Copyright, 1922. by International Text- 
BOOK Company. 



Copyright in Great Britain 



All rights reserved 



Printed in U. S. A. 






^wi.V 



International Textbook Press 
Scranton, Pa. 



CONTENTS 

"i,-^ Note. — This book is made up of separate parts, or sections, as indicated by 
i<_ytheir titles, and the pagre numbers of each usually beein with 1. In this list of 
' contents the titles of the parts are given in the order in which they appear in 
<^ the book, and under each title is a full synopsis of the subjects treated. 

READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS, § 5, § 6, § 7 

§ 5 Pages 

Drawings, Blueprints, and Specifications 1-26 

Introduction 1- 3 

Definition of a drawing; Definition of a blueprint; Object 
of making blueprints; Importance of an understanding 
of drawings; Definition of a specification; Relation be- 
tween drawings and specifications. 

Drawings Used to Represent Buildings 4-17 

Elevations; Plans; Relation of plans to elevations; Dimen- 
sions ; Hidden construction ; Framing plans ; Sections ; 
Scale details ; Full-size details ; Plumbing section ; Shop 
drawings ; Surveys ; Accuracy of drawings ; Precedence 
of drawings. 

Use of the Scale and the Rule 18-26 

Use of the Scale 18-23 

Drawings made to scale ; The architect's scale ; Using the 
scale; Reading dimensions with the scale. 

Use of the Rule 23-25 

Example of the use of the rule; Measuring scale details; 
Practice in the use of the scale and rule. 

Indications Used in Drawings 27-78 

Indications of Materials 27-30 

Methods of and reasons for indicating materials ; Mate- 
rials seen in section; Materials seen in elevation; Appli- 
cation of indications; Descriptions and abbreviations. 

Examples of Abbreviations Used in Drawings 31 

Indications of Parts, or Elements, of Buildings 31-68 

General Explanation 31 

Stone 32-39 

Footings and foundations; Stone walls and piers; Cut- 
stone fronts. 

Brick 40-43 

Brick walls; Face bonds; Brick partitions; Brick piers; 
Chimneys ; Fireplaces. 



iv CONTENTS 

READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 

(Continued) p^g^^ 

Hollow Tile and Terra Cotta 44-50 

HoUow-tile walls and partitions ; Architectural terra cotta ; 
Architect's drawing for terra-cotta construction; Ex- 
ample of a manufacturer's drawing. 

Steel 51-59 

Construction; Example of an architect's drawing; Ex- 
ample of steel-framing plan ; Typical column details. 

Concrete 60-64 

Representation of concrete construction; Example of a 
working plan for a reinforced concrete building. 

Frame Buildings 65-68 

Frame walls ; Partitions, or inside walls ; Floors and roofs ; 
Brick-veneered walls. 

Openings in Walls and Partitions 69-78 

Doors 69-73 

Common swinging doors ; Transoms ; Double doors ; 
Double-acting door ; Double-sliding door ; Door in 
masonry wall ; Accordion door ; Revolving doors ; Garage 
doors. 

Windows 74-78 

Double-hung windows ; Double-hung windows in a masonry 
wall ; Casement windows ; French windows ; Sliding- 
sash windows; Single-sash windows; Interior sash; 
Blinds. 

Fireproof Windows 77-78 

§6 

Indications Used in Drawings — (Continued) 1-57 

Indications of Interior Woodwork 1-5 

Various Features 1-2 

Finish or trim; Doors; Built-in features. 
Stairs 2-5 

General considerations; Headroom; Number of treads and 
risers; Indication of stairs. 

Indications of Plumbing Work 6-11 

Plumbers' work ; Baths, or bathtubs ; Kitchen and pantry 
sinks ; Medicine closet ; Urinals ; Stall urinals ; Wash 
basins ; Water closets ; Laundry trays ; Stacks ; Drains ; 
Example of a drainage system.. 



CONTENTS V 

READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 

(Continued) Pages 

Indications of Sheet-Metal Work 12-13 

Rain conductors, or leaders ; Gutters ; Roofs ; Flashings 
and counterflashings. 

Indications of Heating Equipment 13-16 

Types of heating apparatus ; Registers ; Radiators ; Kitchen 
range. 

Indications of Gas and Electricity 17-18 

Gas heating and lighting ; Electricity ; Combination outlets ; 
Other electrical indications. 

Plans of a Frame Dwelling 19-57 

Introduction 19-20 

General description; Description of the building. 
First-Floor Plan 21-35 

General description; Entrance; Vestibule; Hall; Main 
stairs; Closets; Rear porch; Living room; Fireplaces; 
Various features ; Dining room ; Breakfast porch ; Pan- 
try; Kitchen; Kitchen closet; Service porch; Service 
stairs ; Side porch ; Areas ; Section lines ; Dimensions ; 
Indications of construction. 

Second-Floor Plan 36-40 

General description; Rooms on the second floor; Bed- 
rooms; Bathrooms; Sleeping porch; Roofs of porches. 

Basement Plan 41-44 

General description; Walls and partitions; Partitions; 
Floors; Laundry; Drying room; Vegetable cellar; Pipe 
columns ; Boiler. 

Third-Floor Plan 45-47 

General description; Eaves and gutters; Flat roof, or 
deck; Roofs and dormer windows; Walls and partitions; 
Stairs; Dimensions. 

South Elevation 48-51 

Elevations ; Walls ; Windows ; Porches ; Roof ; Chimneys ; 
Dimensions. 

West Elevation 52-53 

Principal features ; Chimneys ; Windows ; Roof ; Dimen- 
sions. 

East Elevation 53-54 

General features ; Service porch ; Stairs ; Breakfast porch. 

North Elevation 55-56 

General features; Windows and doors; Dormers; Gable; 
Steps. 



vi CONTENTS 

READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 

(Continued) p^^^^ 

Transverse Section 56 

Longitudinal Section 57 

§7 

Indications Used in Drawings — (Continued) 1-39 

Framing Plans and Elevations 1-3 

Framing plan of first floor; Front- elevation framing. 
Details 4-12 

Cellar or basement window; Double-hung window in a 
wooden wall ; Main cornice ; Kitchen dresser. 

Plans of a School Building 13-39 

General explanation; Drawings. 

First-Floor Plan 14-23 

Main entrance ; Vestibule ; Corridor ; Fireproof stairways ; 
Yard entrances; Floor construction; CeiHng construc- 
tion; Wardrobes; Classroom No. 2; Classroom No. 3; 
Slop sink ; Broom closet ; Walls ; Ash pit ; Rain con- 
ductors; Dimensions. 

Second-Floor Plan 24-25 

General explanation; Principal's room; Broom closet; 
Roofs at entrances ; Stair halls ; Corridor ; Dimensions. 

Basement Plan 26-30 

General explanation; Walls and footings; Stair halls; 
Play rooms ; Toilet rooms ; Boiler room ; Coal storage ; 
Fan room. 

Front Elevation 31-33 

Main entrance ; Walls and openings ; Cornice and roof ; 
Cupola. 

Side Elevation 34 

Interior Details 35-39 

Detail of a blackboard; Details of wardrobe; Section 
through front wall. 



READING ARCHITECTS' 
BLUEPRINTS 

(PART 1) 

1842A Edilion 1 



DRAWINGS, BLUEPRINTS, AND 
SPECIFICATIONS 



INTRODUCTION 



1. Definition of a Drawing. — A drawing is a series of 
lines, marks, symbols, letters, and figures, made on paper or 
cloth for the purpose of showing the design, arrangement of 
parts, and size of a building or any object. In the case of a 
building, several drawings are required to represent it com- 
pletely. 

2. Definition of a Blueprint. — A blueprint is a print 
made upon sensitized paper from a drawing that has been made 
on transparent paper or cloth. A sheet of paper coated with 
a substance sensitive to light is placed against the paper or 
cloth upon which the drawing has been made, in a suitable frame 
under a sheet of glass. Sunlight or strong artificial light is 
then allowed to act upon the sensitized paper through the draw- 
ing. When the sensitized paper has been exposed for a suffi- 
cient time, it is removed from the frame and thoroughly washed 
in clear water. The parts covered by the opaque lines of the 
drawing become white, and the remaining parts become blue. 

COPYRIGHTED BY INTERNATIONAL TEXTBOOK COMPANY, ALL BISHTS RESERVCO 

§5 



2 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

3. Object of Making Blueprints. — Drawings must be 
made by the architect or his draftsmen, and considerable time is 
required to produce them. They are, therefore, comparatively 
expensive. It is advantageous to have several copies of the 
drawings that are made for any building, so that estimators, 
contractors, foremen, and others may have separate copies. 
Consequently, the original drawings are traced upon transparent 
paper or cloth. These drawings are called tracings, and any 
number of prints can be made from them without injuring the 
tracings. The tracings are generally filed in suitable cases or 
drawers in the architect's office, and prints can be made from 
them at any time. The process of making blueprints is inex- 
pensive when compared with that of making drawings or trac- 
ings. Every mark shown on the tracings is faithfully repro- 
duced on the blueprint, and for this reason the use of the 
blueprint accomplishes the same result as if the original draw- 
ings were used. 

4. Importance of an Understanding of Drawings. 

The drawings and blueprints made by the architect must be 
used by the contractors, the foremen, and the dealers who supply 
the materials employed in the construction of the building. 
Hence it is important that such persons should thoroughly 
understand the drawings and be able to interpret all lines, marks, 
symbols, and letters found on them. 

5. The contractor or the estimator employed by the con- 
tractor, must thoroughly understand the drawings, as it is his 
function mentally to resolve the building into its component 
parts, and to make complete and exact lists of all the materials 
that are required for its construction. 

6. The foreman represents the contractor at the building, 
and has charge of its erection. He must be competent to 
take all the materials delivered at the building site and put 
them together according to the drawings. Any mistakes 
that he may make in interpreting the drawings may prove 
very costly to the contractor, who must pay the cost of cor- 
recting them. 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 3 

7. A dealer who supplies cut stone, brick, lumber, hardware 
or other materials for a building is often called upon to make 
estimates for furnishing such material. To do this intelligently 
he must be able to determine from the drawings just where and 
in what quantities his materials are to be used, and this requires 
ability to read the drawings. 

8. The indications used on architects' drawings are really 
a special language used to convey facts and ideas necessary for 
the construction of a building, and they should be thoroughly 
understood by all those that supervise and direct such work. 

9. Definition of a Specification. — A specification is a 
detailed description of the character and quality of the work- 
manship and materials that are to be used in a building. The 
collection of all the specifications for any one building is known 
as the specifications, or set of specifications. The specifications 
include information that cannot be shown graphically on the 
drawings. 

10. Relation Between Drawings and Specifica- 
tions. — It is evident that many of the architect's ideas, as for 
instance, those in connection with painting and decoration, hard- 
ware, plaster work, the finish of woodwork, qualities of 
materials, and methods of operation, cannot be shown on 
the drawings. Consequently, the specifications are a neces- 
sary supplement to the drawings, and the drawings and specifi- 
cations should, taken together, furnish all the information 
requisite for the erection and completion of the building. 
Incompleteness in the drawings and specifications gives rise 
to most of the disagreements and misunderstandings that 
occur between the owner and the contractor, and between the 
architect and the owner. 

11. Some architects make many notations on drawings 
which belong more properly in the specifications. When such 
notations are put on drawings the contractor is apt to be misled 
by them. Thus, "oak flooring" might be marked on the draw- 
ings, whereas the specifications might call for "quarter-sawed 
white-oak flooring." Unless the contractor compares the two 



4 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

notations carefully, a mistake is apt to to be made in the materials 
ordered or furnished. Complete descriptions belong in the 
specifications, and it is not wise to write partial specifications on 
the drawings. 

DRAWINGS USED TO REPRESENT BUILDINGS 

12. The drawings generally used to represent buildings are 
elevations, plans, sections, scale details, and full-size details. 
For very small and simple buildings, the elevations, plans, and 
sections are often sufficient for estimating the cost of materials 
and for erecting the building. In more elaborate structures, 
elevations, plans, and sections are given to the contractor for use 
in estimating the cost of the building, and scale details and full- 
size details are given, in addition, to assist him in erecting the 
building. The contractor frequently prepares special drawings, 
known as shop dratvings, which he uses in preparing and erect- 
ing his particular work. 

Accompanying this Section is a set of blueprints of a moder- 
ate-sized residence. This consistsf of four elevations, four 
floor plans, and two sections. On these prints will be found 
examples of the practical application of many of the details 
that are shown in the illustrations accompanying the descriptions 
here given. 

A clear understanding of how the dififerent indications men- 
tioned in the text will appear on working drawings can be 
obtained by referring to the place on the blueprints where the 
object, material, or construction mentioned appears. 

13. Elevations. — Elevations are drawings that shov/ the 
exterior of a building in its true proportions, but usually at a 
smaller size. The drawing of the front of a building is called 
the front elevation; that of the side that is on the right of a 
person facing the front of the building is called the right-side 
elevation: that on the left is called the left-side elevation, and 
the drawing of the rear is called the rear elevation. 

According to whether these elevations are to be toward the 
north, east, south, or west, thev are sometimes marked north 
elevation, east elevation, etc. The north elevation is the north- 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 5 

erly side of the building, etc. The elevations accompanying this 
Section are marked North, East, South and West, respectively. 
The purpose of the elevations is to show the appearance of 
the exterior of the finished building, and on them are usually 
found various indications of materials used for constructing 
the exterior of the building, indications of floor lines and levels, 
dimensions, such as story heights and sizes of the sash. 

14. Plans. — The terms plans, set of plans, working draw- 
ings, general drawings, etc., are frequently used to refer to all 
the drawings that are prepared for the construction of the 
building. When used in this sense, these terms refer to and 
include all the floor plans, elevations, sections, and often the 
details of the building. 

Strictly speaking, however, a plan is a horizontal section 
through the building, showing the arrangement of the parts of 
one floor, and is often called a floor plan. These plans are 
drawn in their true proportions and of small size, such, for 
example, as ^ inch = 1 foot. A plan is generally made of each 
floor, and each plan is named from the floor that it shows. 
Thus, the plan of the first floor is designated the First Floor 
Plan; of the basement, the Basement Plan; of the attic, the 
Attic Plan. Separate plans are sometimes made for the founda- 
tion and for the roof, but more generally- the lines of the founda- 
tion are shown on the basement plan, while the lines of the roof 
are shown on the attic plan. Plans of the basement, first floor, 
second floor, and third floor, or attic, accompany this Section. 

15. Floor plans show the arrangement and location of 
walls, partitions, closets, dressers, fireplaces, windows, doors, and 
other parts of the building, as well as indications of the materials 
of which certain parts are constructed. They also show the 
location of various devices, such as plumbing fixtures, lighting 
outlets, and heating apparatus. Such devices are shown in 
approximate location only, and the specifications describe them 
in character and detail. Their exact location will be fixed after 
the building is erected and the walls and partitions are in place. 

16. In some cases the architect indicates the location of 
such equipment as gas stoves, ranges, laundry stoves, hot-water 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§5 



heaters, refrigerators, bookcases, and other furniture not neces- 
sarily attached to or built into the building, in order to show 
where they may be placed, or to indicate to the contractor where 
connections are to be made. When such furniture or equipment 
is shown on the plans, it should be particularly stated either on 




the plans or in the specifications whether or not such fixtures 
are to be furnished, and by whom. 

17. Relation of Plans to Elevations. — It is impossible 
to show all of a building properly either on plans alone or on 
elevations alone. It is, therefore, necessary to have both plans 
and elevations. Further, it is impossible to show all of the 
design on one elevation, it being necessary to show an elevation 
of each side of the building. This fact is illustrated in Fig, 1, 
which represents a small building. It is evident that while the 
plan shows the actual area covered, it indicates very little of the 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 7 

design shown on the elevations. As the front elevation gives 
very little indication of what appears on the sides, it is neces- 
sary to have a plan and also elevations of all the sides of the 
building in order that all of the design may be shown. The 
plan, shown in Fig. 1, gives no indication of the height of the 
building, but the height is plainly seen on the elevations. On 
the other hand, the depth of a house, or the distance from front 
to back, cannot be determined from the front elevation alone, 
although from the plan an exact idea may be obtained. Like- 
wise, the side elevation gives no indication of the width of the 
building, but this Is clearly shown on the plan and on the front 
elevation. Elevations show the building without regard to the 
distance of any of the parts from the eye, and one is unable 
to determine from them how far back any part may be. Thus, 
in the front elevation, the door is the depth of the porch back 
from the front of the porch, but this distance is not indicated 
on the front elevation. It shows plainly, however, on the plan 
and on the side elevation. From this example will be seen the 
necessity for the plans and the several elevations. 

18. Dimensions. — Every floor plan should be carefully 
dimensioned, as the principal dimensions of the building occur 
on such plans. Dimensions are especially important on the 
cellar or basement plan, since the accurate construction of the 
upper part of the building depends largely upon the care with 
which the cellar walls are laid out. The total lengths of the 
walls of the building should be given, particularly on the base- 
ment plan. How such dimensions are placed will be seen by 
reference to the accompanying blueprint entitled Basement Plan. 
There the overall length of the front wall of the main building 
is shown to be 44' 0" (44 feet inches) ; the depth of the 
building, as shown on the right-hand side of the plan, is 43' 0", 
and the length of the rear extension wall is 29' 6". 

These total, or overall, dimensions on the basement plan are 
of the greatest value in laying out the lines for excavating for 
the foundation walls. In the upper floors they are useful in 
estimating quantities of materials used in various parts of the 
work. 



8 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

These overall dimensions are divided into smaller dimensions, 
as shown on the blueprints, such as those from the ends of walls 
to centers of windows, pilasters, etc. In the case of walls built 
of masonry, the dimensions are taken from the finished outside 
face of the wall. In the case of frame buildings, the dimen- 
sions are generally taken from the outside of the sheathing, if 
sheathing is used. In some cases, however, the dimensions are 
taken from the outside faces of the studs. The methods of 
dimensioning plans will be further discussed in connection with 
plans of buildings given later on. 

Dimensions should also be given for the interior of the 
building, the dimensions being taken to the centers of partitions 
and to the outside of masonry walls, or to the face of the stud- 
ding of frame walls, as illustrated in the blueprint entitled 
Second Floor Plan. The height of stories, windows, and other 
vertical heights are shown in the elevations and sections, and 
are given with relation to the finished floor lines or to the top 
lines of the floor joists. 

In marking the locations of windows, doors, and other open- 
ings on the plans of frame buildings it is customary to give the 
dimensions to the centers of the openings. On plans of masonry 
buildings it is usual to give the dimensions to the sides of the 
openings rather than to the centers. Thus, with brick walls, the 
dimensions show not only the length of the walls between the 
windows, but the actual brick openings for the windows and 
doors. Careful study should be given to the methods of dimen- 
sioning used upon the accompanying blueprints, 

19. Hidden Construction. — There are many places on 
drawings where work is indicated, although actually it would 
not be seen. This is for the assistance of the workmen and 
others who wish to see the relation between the work actually 
shown on the drawings and other parts related to it, but which 
ordinarily would not be shown on the drawing. Thus, in the 
blueprint entitled South Elevation are indicated the locations 
of the footings for the foundation walls at a, the bottoms of 
the dwarf walls for porches and areas at h, and the basement 
sash below grade at c, These lines, indicating work not in 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 9 

plain view, are shown dotted or broken. In this elevation 
are also shown the finished floor lines d, indicated by dot-and- 
dash lines, extending out to a line of dimensions showing the 
distances from floor to floor. In the Basement Plan at each 
side of the wall a are seen the broken lines indicating the foot- 
ings for the walls, and at h is shown a concrete pier below the 
floor line. 

In the First Floor Plan at a is shown an opening containing 
two columns and dotted lines extending across the opening. The 
dotted lines represent the work above the plane at which the 
remainder of the plan is taken, and indicate that the par- 
tition is carried across the tops of the columns. While these 
features may be shown in other drawings, their indication at 
these places shows their relation to the other parts of the 
building. The labor of drawing a complete additional plan 
or section is thereby obviated and the workman is saved 
the trouble of comparing a number of drawings to get the 
necessary information. 

20. Framing Plans. — ^While the architect prepares the 
general plans to show the arrangement of rooms, walls, win- 
dows, doors, and other parts of the building, he must also pro- 
vide for the construction to be used. The framing construction 
is seldom shown on the general plans, yet the architect must 
carefully consider that work. In other words, there is an im- 
plied construction which must be considered in the preparation 
of all plans. Thus, a frame building must have joists, studs, 
rafters, framing for stairs, doors and windows, etc. Although 
this work may not be actually shown, the architect must pro- 
vide room for its installation. In like manner, the piping for 
plumbing and heating, wires for lighting, etc., must be pro- 
vided for in the planning of the building, although none of it 
may show on the general plans. 

A wall consisting of studs, stucco, and plaster, as at h in the 
First Floor Plan, is represented by inside and outside lines only, 
as the construction is generally specified. These lines, how- 
ever, must be drawn the proper distances apart to provide for 
the construction required by the architect. 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 11 

21. It was formerly the practice for the architect to make 
a framing plan of each floor and the roof, as well as a framing 
elevation for each of the outside walls. These drawings showed 
accurately the arrangement of studs in the wall and the fram- 
ing around the doors and windows. The drawings also gave 
the arrangement of floor joists, framing of stair wells, around 
chimneys, etc. These drawings taken together were generally 
known as framing plans. This practice is not generally fol- 
lowed now, as the methods of installing or erecting the fram- 
ing are according to established customs or methods. Instead 
of the architect preparing such drawings, the contractor or his 
foreman is usually expected to lay out whatever framing plans 
he may require. As shown on the blueprints, the architect usu- 
ally indicates the direction of the joists in the floor by arrows; 
also the size and spacing of the joists. 

In Fig. 2 is a perspective diagram of the framing of a build- 
ing similar to the one shown in the blueprints ; in this diagram 
can be seen the construction that is not shown, but is implied, 
in the general plans. 

22. Sections. — Sections are drawings that show how a 
building would appear if it were cut vertically from roof to 
cellar by a huge knife or saw, and the interior of either part 
were shown. A section that is taken in a direction parallel to 
the front of the building is sometimes called a transverse section. 
A section taken perpendicular to the front of the building is 
sometimes called a longitudinal section. In other cases, the 
section taken in the direction of the greatest length of the 
building is marked the longitudinal section, and the section 
taken at right angles to the longitudinal section is called the 
transverse section. Sections are not always taken in one plane, 
but are often taken along a line marked on the floor plans with 
letters, as A-B or C-D in the blueprints of the plans. The object 
of doing this is to show the most important parts of the build- 
ing in one section, and to avoid making any more sections than 
are absolutely required. Thus, the transverse section shown in 
the blueprint is taken on the line A-B in the floor plans. This 
section shows a view of those portions of the building which 

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§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 13 

would be seen by a person looking in the direction of the arrow 
points at A and B, if the portions in front of the section line 
were removed. Likewise, the blueprint of the longitudinal sec- 
tion shows a section of the building taken on the line C-D, and 
showing those portions of the building seen by a person look- 
ing in the direction of the arrow points at C and D. 

23. Scale Details. — While the accompanying set of blue- 
prints shows in a general way the construction of the build- 
ing, there are certain portions of the building that must be 
shown in greater detail, so that their construction and design 
may be understood. Drawings at a larger size and scale are 
therefore made and are called scale details. These details con- 
sist generally of plans, elevations, and sections of the portion 
of the building detailed, drawn at a much larger scale than is 
used in the general plans. These details are made 1/24, 1/16, 
1/12, and even 1/4 of the actual sizes of the parts shown. By 
showing them at these sizes, the details of construction, mold- 
ings, and ornaments can be more clearly shown, so as to be 
plain to the mechanics who are to work from the drawings. 
A scale detail may, therefore, be defined as a drawing which 
shows a portion of a building at from 1/24 to 1/4 of its actual 
size, for the purpose of showing clearly the elementary parts 
and the construction of that portion. Examples of scale details 
are shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 

24. FuU-Size Details. — Full-size details are drawings 
that are made to show portions of a building at their actual 
size. The scale details show the general arrangement of por- 
tions of the building that may need to be shown at a larger 
scale than the general plans, but profiles of moldings, sections 
through trim, sash, and ornamental work, cannot be shown 
clearly at these scales ; therefore, these indications are elaborated 
in the full-size details, and are drawn to actual size. Without 
these full-size explanatory drawings, the scale details would be 
incomplete. Examples of full-size details are given in Fig. 4. 

25. It frequently happens that one sheet of drawings will 
contain drawings at different scales. Thus, a drawing showing 




# / Leader 
* 2leader 



■//ouse Trap 



Soil Lines • 
Vent Lines 



Fig. S 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 15 

the general construction of a doorway, as Fig. 4, may be drawn 
to one scale, while some of the details may be drawn to a much 
larger scale, and the profiles may be full size. Full-size draw- 
ings are not always dimensioned, as it is possible to measure 
the lines with accuracy with the scale or rule. 

26. Plumbing- Section. — Building Departments in some 
cities require that a plumbing section be filed before a building 
permit will be issued. A plumbing section shows the general 
arrangement of all the plumbing fixtures and their connection 
to the main sewer by means of the soil lines. A plumbing 
section is seldom drawn to scale, as it is intended to show the 
number of fixtures and their arrangement only. In Fig. 5 is 
shown a portion of a plumbing section of a building having 
fixtures in the basement, and on the first, second, and third 
floors. 

The plumbing section, as will be noted, contains no dimen- 
sions, and is not drawn accurately to scale or in proportion, as 
the work will be installed in the spaces provided, and in accord- 
ance with the requirements of the fixtures. The fixtures are 
fully described in the specifications, and indicated on the plans. 

27. Sliop Drawings. — Besides using the architect's draw- 
ings, the contractors for such work as the terra cotta, stone, 
millwork, steel, sheet metal, and heating, prepare special draw- 
ings, called shop drawings, to be used in constructing their part 
of the work. In general, these drawings conform to the archi- 
tect's drawings of the finished work, but they show the special 
methods of construction used in connection with the various 
trades. These drawings are usually submitted to the architect 
for his approval before the work shown on them is begun. 
Such drawings must be checked carefully by the architect, to 
insure that they conform to his drawings, and that they do not 
interfere with the work of other trades, or with shop drawings 
already approved. When the architect marks these shop draw- 
ings Approved they become authoritative plans which must be 
followed in the execution of the work. 

In Fig. 6 is shown an example of a shop drawing for an iron 
stairway to be built into a fire-proof building. A sectional 



16 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 



elevation is shown in (a) and a plan of the stairs is shown 
in (&). The stairs extend from the basement floor a in (a), to 




Size of O/pe/7/n^ Aett^&err Bea/77S /3-0 J(3-0^ »^ 
JZ'-S^" 



So/^eov/ 6 




\a Basement f/oor 



(a) 
Fig. 6 



=f-t 



the first floor h, the outline of the steps being plainly shown. 
The flight of stairs is contained between the two 10-inch I 
beams 13 feet apart, with a brick wall on one side of the stairs. 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 17 

and a 10-inch I beam on the other, leaving a clear space 
of 3' 01" for the stairs, the stairs having a rise of 10' 0" from 
floor to floor. The architect's drawing need not be as complete 
as shown in this illustration, but the architect must check the 
dimensions to see that they conform to his drawings, and he 
must examine the drawings carefully to see that they meet his 
approval as to style and detail. An example of a shop drawing 
for terra-cotta work is given later on. 

28. Surveys. — In architectural work, the term survey 
means a drawing, made by a surveyor or an engineer, of a lot 
or piece of property, and sometimes of buildings existing on 
the property. This survey is useful to the architect in locating 
the buildings on the ground. It is drawn lo scale and shows 
measurements in feet and decimals of a foot, whereas the 
measurements on architect's drawings are given in feet, inches, 
and fractional parts of an inch. 

29. Accuracy of Drawings. — ^While the architect en- 
deavors to have his drawings accurate, it often happens that 
errors and omissions are made in indicating parts of plans, as 
well as in dimensions or locations. There is an implied obli- 
gation on the part of the contractor finding such errors and 
omissions to report the discovery to the architect without delay, 
so that corrections can be made. 

When work is to be fitted into a given place in a building, 
the contractor should obtain the measurement of this place at 
the building and should work to the dimensions there found, 
for the actual construction may vary somewhat from the dimen- 
sions shown on the plans. To insure against errors due to 
differences between the dimensions given on the drawings and 
the actual sizes at the building, an architect frequently places 
a notation on the plans, and especially on the scale details, to 
the effect that all dimensions must be verified at the building. 
Such a notation places the responsibility for the accuracy of 
the finished work on the contractor. Fig. 3 illustrates the use 
of this notation, 

30. Precedence of Drawings. — The actual size of parts 
of the building shown on the full-size details are to be used in 



18 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

preference to the sizes indicated on the scale details. In like 
manner, the scale details take precedence, in the matter of 
accuracy, over the working drawings or general plans. 

Whenever a dimension is given on drawings, it should be 
followed in preference to a scaled measurement, as the drawing 
may have been made out of proportion, or the paper may have 
either stretched or shrunk. In case of serious discrepancies 
between the dimensions and the scaled measurements, the 
matter should be brought to the attention of the architect for 
a decision as to the correct dimension. 



USE OF THE SCALE AND THE RULE 



USE OF THE SCALE 

31. Drawings Made to Scale. — Elevations, plans, and 
sections are made at a fraction of the actual size of the building, 
for the obvious reason that the building is too large to be drawn 
at its actual size on ordinary sheets of paper. The sheets could 
not be easily handled if they were so drawn, and the drawings 
need not be full-size in order to make the construction clear. 
When made at a fraction of the actual size, they can be drawn 
on a moderate-sized board and the drawings or blueprints can be 
handled conveniently at the building. 

32. In order to show the plans at the reduced size, they are 
drawn to scale. Most elevations, plans, and sections are drawn 
to the scale of ^ inch to the foot. When so drawn, each ^ inch 
on the drawing represents 12 inches, or 1 foot, of the actual 
building. Such a drawing shows the building at one forty-eighth 
of its actual size. 

The scale of \ inch to the foot is found by experience to be 
a very convenient scale to use in laying out buildings of ordinary 
size. For very large buildings a smaller scale is used, such as 
■J inch to the foot, in which case the drawing will be one ninety- 
sixth of the actual size of the building. 






f 



N* -^ .,1^ 



1--T-T- 



I -L3 






]' 







i 




3 




^ 




— 




1 


3 








o- 


• 


















3 


to 




C3-r 




, 





20 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

33. Scale details are made from 1/24 to 1/4 of the actual 
size of the parts detailed. In such cases the following scales are 
used: 



y^"=ro", 


or 


y24 


actual 


size 


3/>=l'0-, 


or 


Vie 


actual 


size 


V'=VO'\ 


or 


yi2 


actual 


size 


iyo''=i'0", 


or 


Vs 


actual 


size 


3''=1'0", 


or 


y. 


actual 


size 



In full-size details, each inch represents an inch of actual 
size. The scale at which a drawing is made should always be 
marked on the drawing. When drawings at different scales 
appear on one sheet each drawing should be marked so as to 
avoid confusion. 

34. Tlie Architect's Scale. — The architect or designer 
in laying out drawings to any scale, uses an instrument called a 
scale. Whether the word scale refers to this instrument or to 
the scale of the drawing can easily be determined by the con- 
nection in which the word is used. 

An illustration of a convenient type of an architect's scale is 
given in Fig. 7, the two sides (a) and (6) of the scale show- 
ing all the scales that have already been mentioned. The scale 
shown in the illustration is only 6 inches in length, which is a 
very convenient size for carrying in the pocket, and is also 
handy in making drawings. The standard length for a scale 
used in the drafting room is, however, 12 inches. 

35. On the upper edge of the scale in Fig. 7 (a) are the 
|-inch and the |-inch scales. At the left end of the scale, the 
beginning of the ^-inch scale is indicated by the fraction -J, 
above which is | inch divided into 12 parts, each of which 
represents an inch at the |-inch scale. To the right of this di- 
vided eighth are divisions of i inch clear across the top edge of 
the scale, each eighth representing 1 foot and every fourth 
eighth being numbered. 

Beginning at the right-hand end of the same edge of the 
scale, the edge is divided into |-inch divisions by the longer 
lines. The first | inch is divided into 12 parts which rep- 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 21 

resent inches at the :^-inch scale. Every ^ is just twice 
i, and the divisions are arranged so that the |-foot divisions 
of the :|-inch scale are the same as the 1-foot divisions of 
the i-inch scale. Every alternate fourth division is num- 
bered, and the user must be careful to avoid using the 
wrong set of numbers. 

36. On the lower edge of the side of the scale shown in 
(a) are found the |-inch and 1-inch scales, while in (b) are 
shown the f-inch, |-inch, 1^-inch, and 3-inch scales. These 
scales are arranged in pairs and are numbered in a manner 
similar to the scales already described. With each of these 
scales, one unit is shown subdivided into at least 12 parts, repre- 
senting inches, and on the larger scales there may be finer 
divisions to represent parts of inches. Thus, on the 1-inch 
scale, at the right-hand lower edge in (a), it will be observed 
that fractions as small as ^ inch may be read direct and the 
fourths may be divided by the eye so as to read eighths of an 
inch. On the 3-inch scale, shown in (b), the inch divisions are 
divided so that eighths may be read. 

37. Using tlie Scale. — There are two methods of using 
the scale in connection with drawings : a given distance may be 
laid off from a fixed point, or a given space on the drawing 
may be measured. 

In laying off a distance, such as 8 feet 6 inches, from a fixed 
point, and using the ^-inch scale, place the 6-inch mark of the 
divided eighth at the point and make a point opposite the 8-foot 
mark on the edge of the scale, which will give the desired 
'distance. The distance may also be laid off by placing the 
8-foot mark at the point and making a point at the 6-inch mark 
of the divided eighth. 

38. To measure a given space between two points on a 
drawing, the scale is placed so that one of the points is between 
the limits of the unit which is divided into inches, and the other 
point is at one of the unit marks on the edge of the scale. By 
reading the number of feet and inches between the two marks 
on the scale, the desired dimension is found. 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 23 

39. Reading Dimensions With, the Scale. — In Fig. 
8 is shown a portion of a plan of a dwelling. A bedroom and a 
closet are represented at the scale of ^-inch to the foot, or ^g 
of its actual size. The ^J-inch scale on the measuring scale will, 
therefore, be used in determining the measurements. The scale 
shown in the illustration is numbered at every foot for con- 
venience in reading. In the wall a is shown the window h. 
This window is marked on the drawing as being 3'8" in width. 
When the scale is applied to the width of the opening on the 
drawing, it will be seen that the width is three of the ^-inch 
divisions on one side of the O mark, and eight of the %2 
divisions on the other side of the O mark, thus giving the dimen- 
sion 3'8'^ By applying the scale in a similar manner to the 
window c in the w^all d, the same result will be found. The dis- 
tance between the side of the window and the corner of the 
wall will be found to be 3'0'', as the distance is three of the 
:J-inch spaces. 

The width of the closet will be found by applying the scale 
as shown at the upper part of the drawing, and is 3'10". The 
scale must always be applied parallel to the distance to be 
measured. 



USE OF THE RUIiE 

40. The architect and his draftsmen use the scale in laying 
out and in reading the dimensions of the drawings that they 
make for buildings. The contractor and foremen generally use 
the rule sometimes called the carpenter's rule. Either the 2-foot 
rule or the zigzag folding rule may be used. These rules are 
divided into inches and fractions of an inch, such as ^, i, i, and 
YiQ. Dimensions such as are marked on the drawing shown 
in Fig. 8 are usually given, but in Fig. 9 is given an illustra- 
tion of the methods used in taking oflf dimensions or measure- 
ments from a drawing by means of a rule. 

41. Example of the Use of a Rule. — In Fig. 9, on the 
right-hand side, a rule is shown applied to a drawing to obtain 
the length of the room, and the measurement shown is 3^^ 
inches. The drawing is at the scale of ^-inch to the foot. The 



24 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § ij' 



3 inches, therefore, represent 3X4=12 feet, and the yV inch 
represents i of 1 foot, or 3 inches. This dimension will, there- 




Fic. 9 



]Wr 



fore, be read as 12 feet 3 inches. The length of the room includ- 
ing the closet is 3{% inches by the rule. The 3 inches repre- 
sent 12 feet and the if represents 3f feet or 3 feet 9 inches. 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



25 



The total length of the line is, therefore, 15 feet 9 inches. It 
should be remembered that each inch on the rule equals 4 feet, 
each i inch represents 1 foot, and each -^^ inch represents 
3 inches at the scale of i inch = 1 foot. 

42. Measuring Scale Details. — Scale details are made 
at scales such as ^ inch to the foot, f inch to the foot, etc. In 
measuring details drawn at ^ inch scale, each inch on the rule 
represents 2 feet on the drawing, and each -^q inch on the rule 
represents i of a foot, or 1^ inches on the drawing. 

In measuring details drawn at the scale of f inch to the foot, 
each I inch on the rule measures 1 foot on the drawing, each 
^ inch measures 4 inches on the drawing, and each -^q inch 



i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 f 1 1 1 1 






^ 



3/4 INCH SCALE 



on the rule represents 1 inch on the drawing. A comparison of 
a portion of a 2-foot rule with a portion of the |-inch scale is 
shown in Fig. 10, and shows this relation clearly. 

Drawings made full-size can be measured directly with the 
rule, as the represented objects or parts of the building are at 
their actual size. 

43. Practice in the Use of the Scale and Rule. 

Those wishing to obtain a clear understanding of what drawings 
represent, should purchase a scale and measure the various 
parts of the accompanying blueprints, checking the dimensions, 
etc., and thus become familiar with the use of the scale. It will 
also be well to purchase a 2-foot rule, and to become familiar 
with its use in measuring plans. 



SYMBOLS FOR. MMLWALS 

IN PLAIi f SLCTIO/i IN BLEVATION 



a ^. o ^ 



a 3 /^/ 0_/Oni 

STOMB., 

b PLASTBI^ri 

on STUCCO 

cCONCJ^TEo 



wo OD r 



^jmimiii 



iflppffig^ 



EAI^H 



WOOD AND PLASTERy 
PA/iTITIONS AND WALLS 



ALTERNATE FORWOOD 
§ PLASTER, PARTITIONS 



RU35LE STONE WALL 



R$)C/C-FACED ASNLARj 






SNEET METAL 



^^rp'-iVOOD 3LOCI6ING- 
y^AND TIMBERS^ 



I 



STRUCTURAL STEEL 
IN SECTION 



SHEET METAL:> 



STEEL bEAMJOVERj 



WOTE: CONTRACTOI^ SJiALL:> 
VERIFY ALL DIMENSIONS 
5EFORE PROCEEDING WITH 
TNE WORKATTNE E>UILDINCx 



Fig. 11 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 27 



INDICATIONS USED IN DRAWINGS 



INDICATIONS OP MATERIALS 

44. Methods of and Reasons for Indicating Ma- 
terials. — As has been stated, various indications are used to 
represent the materials employed in the construction of build- 
ings. These indications consist of lines, dots, and other marks, 
forming a different indication for each material, so that just 
what material is used in the construction of a given part may be 
determined at a glance. The reason for indicating the materials 
in this way is that these indications may readily be made on the 
tracings, and any number of blueprints may be made from the 
tracings. In the past, colors were used to indicate these various 
materials. As colors could not be readily printed, it was neces- 
sary to make several drawings or prints and to color every one 
separately by hand. This was very expensive, and the present 
method of indicating by various markings and lines has 
been adopted. Examples of these indications are given in 
Fig. 11. All these indications are more or less arbitrary, 
and there is no uniform practice In using them, but they 
represent the practice of a great many of the leading architects 
of the United States. 

45. Materials Seen in Sectiom. — Plans and sections 
usually show cuts made through various materials, and the indi- 
cations of some of the principal materials so cut are shown in 
Fig. 11 at a to /, inclusive. At a is shown the indication for 
brick ; at h stone, plaster, or stucco ; at c, concrete ; at d, marble ; 
at e, terra cotta ; at /, wood ; at g, earth ; at h, wood and plaster 
partitions and walls ; at i, alternate for wood and plaster parti- 
tions ; at /, wood blocking and timbers ; at k, sheet metals ; and 
at /, steel beams over an opening in the plan. 



26/28 
DIV. 



26/28 
ADS. 



-SIDLNG 



W 
1 



\xm 



u 



I TTTTT 



rTTTT 



Uj«l 1,1 



rrr^ 



s.o. 



n 



CXI 



^. 



I'l ' l' l 'l' l Vri \ ^^ffIN GLES 




y ^•:/-v.:^MlS 



■ ;* 


' ' ' : 


l'"^\\ 




"*,«-'• 




26/28 




a 




: - ' 




STUCCO 




PLATE 
CLASS 








1 1 . . 



26/^. 



I'A^ 



AAAAA 



q 4 



JTONE 
'TJ^MMJNGS 



S 



BJ^CK 



h 

. E 






concj^te rSr4J 




Tf^:^ 



3^ 



re; 



('t?; 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 29 

46. Materials Seen in Elevation. — In Fig. 11 from 
m to u, inclusive, indications are shown which represent ma- 
terials as indicated in elevation. Thus, at m is an indication of 
brick in elevation ; at n, stone ; at o, concrete, etc. It will be 
noted that the indications at n, o, and q are somewhat similar, 
but reference to the corresponding parts in the plans will assist 
in distinguishing between these indications. In some cases, 
materials, such as stone, are shown in such a manner as to indi- 
cate the sizes or shapes of the pieces of material used, or the 
method of placing them in the building, as in ^ and t. These 
indications are generally carried over only a small portion of the 
total surface shown on the drawing. 

47. Application of Indications. — In Fig. 12 are shown 
examples of the use of the indications previously mentioned, 
together with additional indications that are often shown on 
drawings. In Fig. 12 {a) at a, where beveled siding is indicated, 
the horizontal lines are spaced to show the actual width of the 
boards. At b rubble is indicated. In (&) wood shingles of 
random width are indicated at a, and ashlar at &. In (c) at a 
a stucco surface is indicated, the same indication being used 
whether the stucco is applied to metal lath, hollow tile, or 
other material. At & a concrete surface is indicated, the indica- 
tion being very similar to that for stucco. In {d) at a a brick 
surface is shown, the indication being the same regardless of 
whether the brick is a part of a solid wall, or a brick veneer 
supported by a wooden frame. At b is an indication of a field- 
stone wall, at c a stone water-table, at d a stone sill, and at e 
stone trimmings in the arch over the window. 

48. To show the application of this system of indicating 
materials in working drawings, reference may be made to the 
blueprints of the South Elevation, Basement Plan, and First 
Floor Plan, and to the Transverse and Longitudinal Sections. 
In the South Elevation, stucco surfaces are indicated at e, a 
brick surface at /, a shingled surface at g, and metal surfaces at 
h. The indications of the material on a small portion of the 
surface are obviously sufficient to identify the entire surface. 
In the Basement Plan at c is shown a concrete wall, and at d 



30 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

is shown a brick wall, at the end of which is a brick chimney e. 
In the First Floor Plan at c is shown a brick fireplace. Two 
kinds of brick are indicated by the different directions of the 
lines, one indicating the brick used in facing the mantel, the other 
showing the common brickwork used for the body of the chim- 
ney. In the Transverse Section at a is a section through a 
concrete wall, surrounding which are indications of earth. 
At 6 is a section through a concrete wall, at c is a section 
through the concrete floor, and at c? is a section through 
a brick wall which supports a brick trimmer arch e under a 
concrete hearth. 

49. It is advisable to place a list, or key, of the indications 
on the drawings, as is done in the Basement and First Floor 
Plans, and in the Transverse and Longitudinal Sections. 

50. Descriptions and Abbreviations. — There are 
numerous things that cannot be shown completely by the use 
of indications. These are usually indicated by brief descriptions 
and abbreviations which are put on the drawings by the drafts- 
man. In some cases the entire description must be printed on 
the drawing. An example of a sentence which is sometimes 
placed on a drawing is given in Fig. 11 at w. Further examples 
of these descriptions or notes may be seen by inspecting the 
elevations, plans, and sections. 

51. Words or abbreviations of words are also used as indi- 
cations, and by usage have acquired definite meanings. Ex- 
amples of these abbreviations are given in the accompanying list. 
Further examples of abbreviations will be found in the South 
Elevation, such as S.O., which indicates sash opening, and R.C., 
which indicates rain conductor. In the First Floor Plan are 
shown abbreviations such as Rad. iov radiator, Reg. for register, 
and Refrig. for refrigerator, etc. 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 31 



EXAMPLES OF ABBREVIATIONS USED ON DRAWINGS 



Abbrevi 


. 


Abbrevi- 




ATIONS 


Explanations 


ations 


Explanations 


CI. 


Cast-iron 


Col. 


Column 


Gal. I. 


Galvanized iron 


Rad. 


Radiator 


W.I. 


Wrought iron 


Reg. 


Register 


T.C. 


Terra cotta 


D.H. 


Double-hung sash 


w. p. 


White pine 


No. or 


# Number 


Y. p. 


Yellow pine 


B.L. 


Building line 


D.S. 


Double-strength glass 


G.L. 


Grade line 


P.G. 


Plate glass 


C.L. 


Center line 


L.G. 


Leaded glass 


C.C. 


Center-to-center 



INDICATIONS OF PARTS, OR ELEMENTS, 
OF BUILDINGS 

52. General. — On drawings, the indications of the various 
parts, or elements, of a building should show more than the 
mere materials of which the parts are constructed ; the peculiar- 
ities of the construction of the various parts should be indicated. 
This construction depends on the nature of the materials used, 
and the character of the building in which the parts occur. 

53. Building materials may be used in various combinations 
in the same building. Thus, a brick wall may have an exterior 
facing of face or special brick ; a hollow-tile wall may support a 
facing of brick ; a wooden frame may support an outer covering, 
or veneer, of brick or stucco ; or a steel frame may be used to 
support walls of brick, terra cotta, or stone. A building may 
have exterior brick walls, with wooden, steel, or reinforced- 
concrete floor construction. 

54. In general, buildings in which the foundations and 
exterior walls are constructed wholly or principally of brick, 
stone, hollow tile, or concrete, are known as masonry buildings. 

When the walls or floors are supported principally on a frame- 
work of structural steel, the buildings are known as steel-skele- 
ton buildings. 



32 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

Buildings in which the principal parts, such as the foundations, 
walls, floors, and roofs, are built of concrete reinforced with 
metal rods or bars, are known as reinf orced-concrete buildings. 

Buildings in which the superstructure, or the portion of the 
building above the foundation wall, consists of a wooden frame- 
work which supports an outer covering of siding, shingles, 
stucco, or other material, are known as zvoodcn-frame buildings. 
The superstructure is usually supported on a masonry founda- 
tion, which may be of brick, stone, hollow tile, or concrete. 

55. Buildings are made up of many parts, among the more 
important being the footings, foundations, walls, piers, partitions, 
chimneys, floors, roofs, doors, and windows. Some of these 
parts are shown in the plans, others in the elevations, and still 
others are seen only in the sections. Thus, the footings and 
foundations are indicated usually in the basement plan, and 
are seen also in the sections, the construction of walls, piers, and 
partitions is seen in the plans, while the appearance of the out- 
side walls and piers is seen in the elevations, and the appearance 
of the partitions and inside piers is seen in the sections. Chim- 
neys are seen in the plans, and in the sections, while portions of 
them are seen in the elevations, as in the blueprint of the South 
Elevation. Floors and roofs are seen principally in the sections, 
although the roof construction appears partly in the plans, as 
in the Third Floor Plan; partly in the elevations, and in the 
sections. 

Since the indication of the parts of the buildings depends so 
much on the nature of the materials used, these indications will 
be discussed in the following articles under the headings of the 
various materials. 



56. Footings and Foundations. — Footings and foun- 
dations are generally built of some masonry material, such as 
stone, brick, concrete, or tile. Except for large and important 
buildings, footings are seldom shown on a separate plan. The 
customary method of indicating footings is by broken lines 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 33 

on each side of the wall, as at a in the Basement Plan. The 
width of the footing is shown on the Basement Plan, as at a, 
and the vertical thickness or height of the footing is shown 
in the Sections. When the footing is shown in section, the 
space between the lines of the footing is filled with the indi- 
cation of the material of which the footing is composed, as 
at a in the Longitudinal Section, When seen in elevation in the 
Section, the footing is shown only in outline, as at h. 

57. The foundation myalls, at least up to grade, are gen- 
erally made of rough masonry or concrete. It is, therefore, 
important to show the grade line, or the finish line of the 
ground, on the elevations and sections of the building, in order 
to show where the rough masonry stops. The portions of the 
foundation wall projecting above the finished grade are usually 
built with more care and with better materials than those below. 
The foundation wall generally contains the windows which light 
the cellar or basement, and the plan of such cellar or basement 
is commonly taken so as to be a section through these windows. 
Consequently, the location of the windows can be marked on 
the cellar or basement plan. 

58. The vertical sections through the foundation walls are 
usually taken through one of the wall openings, such as a 
window or door. This enables the architect to show the relation 
of the door or window sills and the construction over the tops 
of these features. The height of the window and door sills 
above the finished cellar floor can then be marked on the section 
for the instruction of the contractor. When the section does 
not pass through the basement windows or doors, the heights 
of the window sills are sometimes marked on the elevations, as 
at i in the South Elevation. 

59. Stone Walls and Piers. — Stone walls and piers are 
shown in plans by lines bounding the masonry. These lines 
give the correct size of the construction according to the scale 
at which these parts are shown. Dimensions are given for the 
thickness of walls, and the sizes of piers. The space between 
the lines of the walls and inside of the bounding lines of the 



34 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§5 



piers is filled with the indication of the material of which the 
wall or pier is composed. Thus, in Fig. 13 (a), a stone wall is 
indicated; in (&) a brick wall faced with stone, and in (c) a 
stone pier. In masonry seen in plan or section, there is no 
attempt made to represent the individual stones, bricks, or pieces 
of material in the plan or sections, it being understood that the 
work will be done according to the 
specifications or the indications on 
the elevations. 



B 



r 



I (<t> 




Jv^ 



mil 



U 3-0- 



S 



60. When walls of different 
thicknesses occur in a building, each 
wall should be marked so that the 
workmen will know where the dif- 
ferent thicknesses occur. The 
thickness indicated on the plans 
usually refers to the actual thick- 
ness of masonry rather than to the 
total thickness of the masonry and 
any plastering which may be applied 
to it. An additional line close to 
the inner surface of the wall as at a 
in Fig. 13 (b), indicates that the 
wall is furred and plastered. When 
plastering is applied directly to the 
wall, the additional line is omitted, 
the wall being shown as in (a). In 
the latter case the plastering would be called for in the specifica- 
tions. Piers are rarely furred, the plastering, when required, 
being applied directly to the surfaces. 

61. The practice is divided between indicating the thickness 
of masonry in inches, as 18'", 2C, 24", etc., and by feet and 
inches, as r6"', I'S'", 2'(y\ etc. The figures giving the thickness 
of walls should be read carefully so that 18" will not be mistaken 
for 1"8", or 20" for 2'0", etc. In general, the dimension is given 
in inches when it refers to the thickness of the wall, and in feet 
and inches when it is a dimension from one face of the wall to the 
Other, in connection with a line of dimensions across the building. 



(c) 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



35 




-^-^^ 


^^r-v 


1 A-^— 


\ 


^_x_^ 


_Jz: i^ 


^TT 




iiV 



re; 



(c) 



— I r- 

1 1 



(d) 

Fig. 14 



62. Stone walls 
seen in elevation are in- 
dicated according to the 
manner in which they 
are constructed. Stone 
may be used to make a 
given length of wall 
without regard to the 
size, shape, or arrange- 
ment of the separate 
stones, or it may be laid 
to a prearranged plan. 
In the first case the work 
is known as rubble, and 
in the second case it is 
known as ashlar. 

63. A typical 
method of showing rub- 
ble work on the eleva- 
tions is given in Fig. 14 
(a), a greater or less 
portion of the wall be- 
ing thus indicated. The 
finished wall of this 
construction is shown in 
Fig. 15. This work is 
known as random rub- 
ble, and the character of 
the work will vary with 
the nature of the stone. 
Where thin flat stones 
are used, the drawing 
will naturally represent 
such stones. Where 
rounded boulders are 
used, a different appear- 
ance will result, resem- 



36 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

bling that shown at b in Fig. 12 (d). When the rubble is to 
be roughly coursed, it is indicated as in Fig. 14 (b), and the 
finished appearance of the wall will be shown in Fig. 16. This 
work is known as coursed rubble. 




.■5S5^'~/ 



\v^^ 



64. Ashlar consisting of stones cut to certain dimensions is 
indicated as in Fig. 14 (c). This is known as coursed ashlar. 



§5 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



^o7 



A finished wall of this construction is shown in Fig. 17. Ashlar 
is frequently used as random-coursed ashlar, as indicated in 
Fig. 14 (d). A finished piece of random-coursed ashlar is 
shown in Fig. 18. 




Fig. 17 ' 




Fig. 18 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 39 

65. Stone walls of the kinds shown in Figs. 14 to 18 are 
sometimes solid, as shown in Figs. 15 to 18, but generally the 
stone is only a facing, or veneer, as shown in Fig. 13 (b) , backed 
up with brick, a cheaper stone, or tile. Stone walls are seldom 
less than 20 inches thick, although in some localities where the 
stone occurs in thin layers with parallel beds, they may be built 
as thin as 16 inches. 

66. When stone is cheaper than brick, stone piers are some- 
times used, but generally in the basement only. These piers are 
indicated in the same manner as outside walls. The dimensions 
which appear on stone piers, as in Fig. 13 (c), are for the 
masonry only, as any plaster that might be applied to the masonry 
is not indicated on the plans. Stone piers are seldom furred. 

67. Cut-Stone Fronts. — Elaborate cut-stone fronts have 
each stone shown on the elevations, as in Fig. 19 (a). Indi- 
vidual stones a are shown by drawing lines from the diagonally 
opposite corners. The stones of the arch b are also shown by 
diagonal lines to indicate that they are single stones extending 
from the top of the columns to the bottom of the cornice. The 
parts of stones which extend behind pilasters and other stones 
are shown by dotted lines, as at c. A further indication of the 
jointing is seen in the section (&), which shows the arch stones 
and cornice supported by steel beams and backed up with 
brickwork. 

68. When the fronts of the building are of cut stone, as 
shown in Fig. 19, they are usually backed up with a cheaper 
material, such as rubble stonework, brick, or hollow tile. The 
kind of stone and the manner of constructing the wall are 
generally shown in the small-scale sections and on large-scale 
details, but must also be fully described in the specifications. 

69. Before any of the stone can be cut for a front, such 
as in Fig. 19, working or shop drawings must be prepared show- 
ing the exact shape of every stone. These drawings are gener- 
ally made by the stone contractor who cuts the stone, and his 
drawings are submitted to the architect- for approval. 



40 



KEADING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



BRICK 

70. Brick "Walls. — The inside and outside faces ot brick- 
work are shown on plans by lines, as in Fig. 20 (a) and (b), 
the space between the lines being filled with the brick indication. 
A brick wall is sometimes backed with tile and is indicated as 
shown in Fig. 20 (c), and sometimes faced with the stone and 
indicated as in Fig. 13 (b). When brick walls are furred, an 

additional line is shown, .-^s at a in 
Fig. 20 (d), but plaster applied 
directly to the wall is not indicated, a 
plastered wall showing the same indi- 
cation as one not plastered. The 
measurement of the wall in any case 
refers to the thickness of the actual 
brickwork. Furring and plastering 
will add about 2 inches to this thickness. 
The thickness of the brick wall is 
determined by the number of rows of 
bricks in the wall, each row being 4 
inches to 4^ inches thick. A wall of 
two rows is between 8 inches and 9 
inches thick; one of three rows is 
between 12 inches and 13 inches, and 
one of four rows is between 16 inches 
and 18 inches thick. Bricks vary 
somewhat in size and, therefore, cause 
a variation in the thickness of the wall. 
*"^- -° In localities where the smaller bricks 

are used, the walls will be about 8 inches, 12 inches, 16 inches, 
etc., thick, and may be so marked on the plans, while in places 
where larger bricks are used the walls will be 9 inches, 13-| 
inches, 18 inches, etc. The wall is laid to the outside lines of 
the building, any variation in thickness due to the size of the 
bricks or to the application of furring and plastering coming 
on the inside of the wall. 

71. Face Bonds. — Brickwork is laid in a number of ways, 
the object being to secure a pleasing appearance by the arrange- 




42 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§5 



L 



m 



i 



ment of the bricks, and to bond the bricks together in the wall. 
Brickwork is indicated frequently on the quarter-scale eleva- 
tions by lines showing the horizontal and vertical joints, as at a 
in Fig. 12 (c?). In some cases, however, only the horizontal 
joints are shown. Scale details are prepared sometimes, espe- 
cially when the more elaborate bonds are used, the drawing 
showing every brick in the face of the 
entire wall. Common, or American, bond 
is shown in Fig. 21 (a), English bond in 
(b), and Flemish bond in (c). When a 
special bond or pattern is used in the 
design, such bond or pattern, even when 
^^^""^"^ shown in scale details, usually is indi- 

cated in the quarter-scale elevations by suitable wording, and 
is described in the specifications. 

72. Brick Partitions. — Interior brick walls, or brick par- 
titions, are shown in plan with a line for each face of the wall, 
as in Fig. 22. If the partition is plastered, the finished wall 
will be f inch to 1 inch thicker for each side on which plaster 
is applied, or 1^ inches to 2 inches thicker for the entire wall 
when both sides are plastered. This extra thickness, however, 
is not shown on the plans, and no additional line is drawn to 
indicate the plaster 
when it is applied di- 
rectly to the brick sur- 
faces. An 8-inch brick 
wall would be marked 
8", whether plastered 
or not. The dimen- 
s i o n s showing the ^°* 

location of brick partitions are usually given to the center of 
the partition, so as to divide whatever variation there may be 
between the adjacent rooms. 

73. Brick Piers. — Brick piers are shown in outline in 
plans, as in Fig. 20 (a), the space inside the outline being filled 
with the brick indication. The dimensions are given to the 
bounding lines of the brickwork, whether the pier is plastered 




§5 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



43 



or not. Dimensions are sometimes given to the center lines of 
the piers, and this is particularly the custom with small piers, 
where the actual size may vary somewhat on account of the 
size of the bricks used. 

74. Chimneys. — A chimney consists of one or more flues 
surrounded by a wall of sufficient strength. Chimneys are built 
usually of brick, although other materials such as stone, hollow 
tile, or concrete are sometimes used. In brick chimneys there 
must be at least 4 inches, or one thickness of brick, around the 
flue, as in Fig. 23 (a). When only 4 inches of brickwork is 
used around the flue, or when materials other than bricks arc 
used, the chimney should 
be lined with terra-cotta 
flue lining a as a protec- 
tion against fire, which 
might otherwise find its 
way through the joints. 
When the chimney is 
built with 8-inch brick 
walls, as in (&), the 
terra-cotta lining may be 
omitted. 

Two or more flues combined in one chimney should have thin 
partitions of bricks between the flues, as at b in (a). These 
partitions, known as withes, separate the flues and bond the 
outside walls of the chimney together. 

The sizes of the flues as indicated in Fig. 23 are 7"yj" , 
7''XlH"and8"Xl2''. 

75. Fireplaces. — In Fig. 24 is a plan of a fireplace. The 
fireplace is in a brick chimney a, as is indicated by the diagonal 
lines. The fireplace opening is lined with face brick h, as indi- 
cated by the diagonal lines in the thin space around the opening. 
At the left of the fireplace opening at c is a rectangular space 
surrounded by double lines. This space represents a flue com- 
ing up from below and passing the fireplace. The double line 
indicates a terra-cotta flue lining. The lines d in the hearth, 
or floor of the fireplace, represent the joints between the bricks 




44 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§5 



that are used to pave the fireplace. At c is an iron ash door 
with a cover supported on pivots, which opens into a flue through 
which the ashes drop into an ash-pit in the cellar. The portion 
of the hearth that extends in front of the fireplace is shown 
finished in tile on the left side f, and with bricks g on the right 
side. These sides are shown differently to show the different 
indications for these materials. The double lines around the 
outside of the tile and brick hearths indicate a wooden border 
that is fitted against the brick and tile, and is nailed to the floor. 
At h is indicated the section through the mantel or wooden finish 
of the fireplace that forms a framework 
enclosing the face brick of the fireplace 
opening. A study of the fireplaces shown 
in the living room and on the porch, in 
the First Floor Plan and in the Longi- 
tudinal Section, will show the use of these 
indications. 

HOLLOW TILE AXD TERRA COTTA 

76. Hollow-Tile Walls and Par- 
titions. — Hollow tile is used for walls 
and partitions in practically the same 
manner as brick, the usual indication 
being given in Fig. 11 {e). The walls 
may be from 6 inches to 16 inches or 
more in thickness, and the inside surface 
^'^^ of the tile may be furred out in the same 

^'"^- "^ manner as brick walls. As with stone 

and brick walls, the measurement of the hollow tile wall refers 
to the thickness of the tilework, and not to the combined thick- 
ness of the tile, furring, and plastering. In Fig. 25 (a), is 
shown a tile wall as it would appear in plans with or without 
plaster on the interior surface or stucco on the exterior surface. 
In (&) is shown a similar wall furred. The additional line a 
indicates the furring and plastering, in the same manner as 
described for stone and brick. In (c) are shown partitions of 
hollow tile. These indications will usually appear in the archi- 
tect's plans when hollow tile is used. 




48 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

77. Some types of hollow tile may be used with the sur- 
faces exposed, in which case the elevation shows the general 
shape of the blocks, and suitable wording indicates the particular 
material used. Usually, however, the tile surface is coated with 
stucco, when a finish similar to a in Fig. 12 (c), is indicated. 
The floor plans, sections, and specifications are depended upon 
for further information regarding the construction or use of 
hollow tile.. 

In Fig. 26 are shown portions of a building with walls and 
partitions of hollow tile. This illustration shows the construc- 
tion at various points as it would be found in first-class work. 
In this figure the outside walls are 8 inches thick, being built 
with 8''X12''X12'' blocks. The partitions are 4 inches thick, 
being built of 4"X12''Xl2'' blocks. The surfaces of the par- 
tition blocks are smooth, being intended for use without plaster. 
The outer faces of the walls are designed to receive a coating 
of stucco. 

78. Architectural Terra Cotta. — A class of burned clay 
used for exterior decoration is known as architectural terra 
cotta. This material is used in a manner similar to fine cut- 
stone work. 

79. Architect's Drawing for Terra-Cotta Construc- 
tion. — The architect generally makes carefully detailed draw- 
ings for the doorways, cornices, or other parts of the building 
made of terra cotta, in a manner similar to that described for 
stone, in order that the design may be clearly understood and 
faithfully carried out. An example of such a drawing is given 
in Fig. 27, which is a detail of an ornamental doorway. In (a) 
is a half elevation, and in (b) is a section taken through the 
center line of the doorway. In this drawing there is no indica- 
tion for the thickness or construction of the terra cotta. The 
work of indicating the terra-cotta construction is left to the 
draftsman in the office of the terra-cotta manufacturer, who 
makes a drawing like that shown in Fig. 28. 

In small-scale drawings it is difficult to indicate terra cotta 
by the ordinary method, as this material is rarely over 1 inch 
thick, and, therefore, does not permit indications to be made 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 49 

at small scales. In large-scale details, however, the material 
can be indicated as in Fig. 28 (b). The characteristic form 
of the blocks, as shown in this figure, is such as to identify 
clearly the parts that are formed of terra cotta. The hatching 
inside the blocks indicates brickwork with which the hollow 
spaces in the terra-cotta blocks are filled. 

80. Example of a Manufacturer's Drawing. — In 

Fig. 28 is shown the manufacturer's shop drawing of the same 
entrance that was shown in Fig. 27. It will be noted in Fig. 
28 (a), that the horizontal joints a, of the plain wall, the 
radiating joints b, of the arch, and the joints c between the wall 
and the arch, as shown in Fig. 27, have been retained. Vertical 
joints d. Fig. 28 (a), however, have been added to show the 
length of the wall blocks. The joints e and / are suggested for 
the ornament over the entrance. These joints are made to fol- 
low the form of the ornament as far as possible, so that they may 
be partly concealed. 

In Fig. 28 (b) are shown the contours of the terra-cotta blocks 
that occur in this section, and also the depths that these blocks 
are set into the wall, and the manner in which they are secured 
or supported. All of the terra cotta over the doorway, and the 
masonry with which it is backed up, are supported by the steel 
members shown at a and h. Anchors c are used to tie the pro- 
jecting blocks to the body of the wall. The blocks d in (b) 
are designed to form a self-supporting arch, as shown at g in 
(a). To prevent any settlement of these blocks or opening of 
the joints between them, they are usually anchored to the steel 
members by means of small suspension rods shown at / in (b). 
The blocks ^ in (b) are likewise suspended from the steel mem- 
ber a. The diagonal lines show the backing, which consists 
of brickwork. 

81. In addition to the general dimensions, the manufac- 
turer's drawings usually indicate the size of the blocks, as shown 
in Fig. 28 (a). When these scale drawings have been approved 
by the architect, the manufacturer proceeds to lay out the details 
of the various blocks. When the blocks are all made and fitted, 
a letter and a number are marked on the back of each for the 




Fig. ?9 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 51 

convenience of the setter. The number corresponds with the 
location of the piece in the design, as indicated in Fig. 29, 
which is called a setting plan, or setting drawing. The different 
groups are lettered A, B, C, D, E, and F, but all similar 
blocks have the same number. Thus, all the blocks marked A5 
are in group A and are of the same size and pattern, and all 
blocks marked B3 are of the same size and pattern. Any block 
marked A4 can be taken from the pile and placed in any position 
marked 4 in the A section of the setting drawing. 



82. Construction. — Buildings of considerable height usu- 
ally have a steel frame, which must be covered with masonry 
to protect it from the weather and from fire. The architect 
prepares the plans for a building, which show the location of 
doors, windows, etc., and also locates a steel framework to 
carry the entire building. The steel frame is then carefully 
designed by an engineer, special attention being given to strength 
and economy. 

The frame of a steel-skeleton building consists primarily of a 
system of columns, with girders, beams, trusses, etc., between 
which or upon which the floors and roofs are built. In some 
cases the girders at each floor carry the masonry of the wall 
construction enclosing that floor. 

83. The columns, girders, trusses, etc., are built up of struc- 
tural shapes, known as I's, or I beams ; L's, or angles ; T's, or 
tees; channels, plates, bars, and rods. These shapes are built 
into columns, girders, trusses, etc., in the shop, after which they 
are assembled at the job to form a rigid framework. 

84. Structural shapes are designated as to their size in 
inches, as 4", 6", 9", etc., the dimensions referring to the depth, 
or largest dimension, of the shape. This dimension is fre- 
quently accompanied by a number indicating the number of 
pounds to the linear foot of the shape. Thus the marking 
9^^-1-21 # means an I beam, 9 inches in depth and weighing 



52 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

21 pounds for each foot in length. The dimensions, weights, 
and other properties of shapes are standardized, and are given 
in handbooks issued by the leading steel companies. 




PART OF FI^T PIOOJ^PMN 

Fig. 30 

85. Example of an ArcMtect's Drawing . — In Fig. 30 
is shown a typical plan of a corner of a steel- frame building. 





,^ 


[ 


,.r H 




. . _ . 










/2-LJ-20.-5* ^'^g', Buildint; Line^ 




< 






/-P/ate^xs" , Y 










1 


J 


-0 


1 


J 








1 


r 


Col. */ 


' Girder- b 


i 

Beam -a ^ 


-.2-12-^-20.5* 




% 

^ 


1 

do. 


,1 


do. \ 






k 

J do. 




5i 

J 

do. I 








>< 

•/ 


5 


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ic' ,1" 


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BeamFiqures 
do. 




5 

a 


do. 


d 




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do. 


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do. 5. 


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ColCenter 
J do. 


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do. L 


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Col.'^d V 
do. 


1 

1 






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t 

V 


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Part of Floor Framinif j 
Fig. 31 



54 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

the outside walls being brick, and the columns being covered 
with hollow tile and brickwork. The architect shows in his 
drawing only the indications of the columns which are accu- 
rately designed later on. The beams and girders used in the 
floor construction are not shown usually, although they are 
sometimes indicated by dot-and-dash lines, as in this illustration. 

86. Example of Steel-Framing: Plan. — In Fig. 31 is 
shown the framing plan for the same portion of the building 
shown in Fig. 30, the several columns being numbered for 
further reference. Drawings of this kind are generally pre- 
pared by engineers who specialize in this kind of work. No 
attention is paid in this drawing to the doors and windows, as 
there is no steel work in connection with them. Every beam is 
indicated as to its depth, and the weight per foot is also given, 
which describes the beam positively. Distances are given to 
column centers and to the centers of the beams and girders. 
The framing around the elevator shaft is shown, and this must 
correspond with the architect's design and the dimensions on 
the general plans. 

The detail drawings of all the steel framing shown on this 
drawing are generally made by draftsmen employed by the 
contractor who erects the frame. These are submitted to the 
engineer and the architect for approval. 

The columns are built from a plate and four angles riveted 
to it, and each column is numbered, as shown on the plans, 
for identification when it reaches the building. The floor con- 
struction consists of 9-inch I beams, weighing 21 pounds per 
linear foot, marked a and d, and are supported by girders in the 
outside walls and between the columns. The girders h each 
consists of a ^"X5" plate and two 12-inch channels, as marked 
on the plans. Around the elevator shaft 12-inch channels are 
used to form the girders e and / which frame the opening and 
support the floor construction. Between the columns in the 
interior of the building are girders c consisting of 12-inch I 
beams. Tie-rods g are used to brace the floor beams, and to 
prevent the beams from spreading when the floor tiles are put 
in place. 




sis'itii." 



Fig. 35 



S3^'- 1 



58 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 59 

87. In Fig. 32 is shown a view of the steel work for the 
building shown in Figs. 30 and 31, before any of the fireproof - 
ing, walls, or floors, are started. In Fig. 33 the floor arches 
are in place, as well as the protection for the bottoms of some 
of the girders. The centering that supports the upper floor is 
shown. In Fig. 34 is shown the same building with the walls 
completed, the column fireproofing and the hollow-tile flooring 
in place, the sleepers ready for concrete filling and flooring, and 
the walls ready for plastering. 

88. Typical Column Details. — In Fig. 35 is shown a 
typical detail drawing of a column such as is used in buildings 
similar to that shown in Fig. 34. Such a drawing would be 
made by the contractor. This column consists of two 10-inch 
channels, to which are riveted ^"Xl2" cover plates, making a 
box-like column about 12 inches square. The base of the 
column is built out to make a 22^"X24" base, the four corner 
holes being left open, as indicated by their being shown black, 
so as to allow for bolting the base to a masonry foundation. 

On two sides of the column are knees, or brackets b, each ot 
which supports two 12-inch I beams, while on the other twr> 
sides are smaller brackets c, each supporting a 10-inch I beam. 
The column is shown to be 22' 8^'' long, and a bedplate d with 
splice plates e and angles / connects this section of the column 
to the section above it, making the column continuous through- 
out its height. The joint is usually made just above a floor 
line, as at g, so as to avoid complicated framing at the floor 
level. 

89. As all of the steel work for a building must be detailed 
in this manner before the actual work of fabrication can com- 
mence, it is evident that the drawings must be accurately made, 
and care must be taken in the preparation of the material in 
the shop. 

All of the drawings of the steel work are submitted to the 
architect and the engineer for their approval before the work 
of fabrication is commenced. The architect checks such dimen- 
sions as column centers, story heights, etc., in order to see that 
there is ample room for the design of the building to be carried 



60 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

out, and to permit the workmen of different trades to do their 
work. The engineer examines the drawings to see that the joints 
are properly designed for strength. 



COXCRETE 



90. Representation of Concrete Construction. 

Architect's drawings for concrete buildings, which may be of 
concrete blocks, monolithic concrete, or reinforced concrete, 
differ from drawings for buildings made of stone, brick, or 
tile, only in the indication used to represent the materials. A 
concrete wall is shown in Fig. 36 (a), and a portion of a 
concrete wall with a reinforced-concrete column is shown 
in Fig. 36 (b). The method of representing concrete is shown 
in Fig. 11, at c in section and at o in 
^^^^^W p ' 11 elevation. No indication is used on plans 
,;:.r'-*'+*^;;— -p to represent plaster on the inside, unless 
^y the wall is furred and lathed, when an 

additional line is shown, as already de- 
(^^ scribed for other forms of masonry walls. 

The nature and amount of reinforcement 
are seldom stated on the general plans, 

, such as Fig. 37, which are made by the 

architect ; but the reinforcement is shown 
^^' on the scale details or on special draw- 

ings for the concrete work. In many cases the architect employs 
a concrete engineer to prepare the drawings showing this work. 

91. Example of a Working Plan for a Reinforced- 
Concrete Building-. — An example of a portion of a plan pre- 
pared by a concrete engineer is shown in Fig. 38. This plan 
shows the concrete construction required for the architect's plan 
shown in Fig. 37, and is to be used as a working drawing for 
the concrete work only. On this drawing the various columns, 
girders, beams, etc., are shown, each being numbered so that it 
may be identified in accompanying schedules, such as are shown 
in Fig. 39 (a) and (b). For convenience in identifying the 
structural members in Fig. 38, the girders are indicated by the 






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(b) 



ROUGH 



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(g) 



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—a— I SKETCH S 

(h) 



64 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

letter G, and the beams by B, followed by suitable letters and 
numbers. The columns are marked by numbers in circles. 

Sometimes the sizes of the beams and girders are placed on 
the drawings in connection with the structural members shown 
on the framing plan. In this case, however, the girders and 
beams are marked with letters and numbers as previously men- 
tioned, and are described as in the schedules (a) and (&), Fig. 
39. Consequently, all beams of the same size are marked with 
the same letter and number throughout the plans, and are 
described under the same letter and number in the schedule. 
Thus, when Gl is found in the plan, a corresponding reference to 
Gl will be found in the first column of the girder schedule. In 
this schedule will be given the total number of the girders marked 
Gl, the sizes, reinforcement, the columns between which the 
girder extends on the plans, and a reference to a sketch which is a 
diagram showing the shape of the girder. In the case of girder 
Gl, sketch 1 is indicated. This sketch is shown in Fig. 39 (c). 
It will be noted that there are letters a, b, c, and d in place 
of dimensions in this sketch. Under the heading Size in the 
girder schedules, opposite the letter Gl, the dimensions corre- 
sponding to these letters will be found. For instance, the dis- 
tance a in Girder 1 is r3", the distance h is 2'^'', etc. The dis- 
tances c and d show that the slabs on each side of this girder 
vary in size, and may be either 4^ or 5 inches. The actual 
thickness at any given point can be determined from the plan. 
Under the head of Reinforcement in the girder schedule and 
opposite Gl, will be found a list of the bars or rods which are 
required in the construction of this girder. Under the head 
DB, meaning dozvn bars, there are 4 bars l^" square; under 
Straight, 4 bars l^" square, etc. This will give a sufficient idea 
of this method of indicating girders, beams, etc. The same 
explanation applies to the beam schedule. In the case of Bl, 
Bla, B3, B4, etc., sketch 1 is also applicable, and the dimensions 
are taken oil in the same manner as with girders. 

92. In the plan shown in Fig. 38, various kinds of mesh 
reinforcement are indicated, such as style 309, and style 365. 
Diagonal reinforcement is indicated at the corners near col- 



§5 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



65 



umns, 45, 46, 48, and 49. Between columns 15 and 47 are shown 
heavy dash-and-dot hnes, which indicate the tension members 
of the reinforcement used for the floor slabs. The diagonal 
cross lines between columns 14, 15, 50, and 51 indicate an open 
space. By referring to the architect's plan, Fig. 37, it will be 
seen that this space is occupied by a stairway. A careful study 
of these drawings will give a very clear 
idea of the methods of indicating construc- 
tion and material on plans for concrete 
buildings. 



J. c^) 



FRAME BUILiIJINGS 



93. Frame Walls. — Frame walls 
are built usually with either 2"X4" or 
2"X6" studs. On the outside of these 
studs, when siding is used, a surface of 
sheathing boards about 1 inch thick is 
placed, over which the finished siding is 
laid. On the inside of the building, the 
thickness of the plaster, including the 
lath, is a little less than 1 inch. The 
thickness of the wall when 2"X4" studs 
are used, will thus be between 6 inches 
and 7 inches, and between 8 inches and 
9 inches when 2"X6" studs are used. 
Thus, in Fig. 40 (a) the frame wall is 
shown about 7 inches thick, at the ^-inch Fig. 40 

scale indicating that 2"X4-" studs are 

used with sheathing and siding on the outside and plastering 
on the inside. The thickness of frame walls is seldom given 
on drawings, as it may vary somewhat on account of variation 
in the thickness of the materials, as just mentioned. The dimen- 
sions are, therefore, taken to some fixed point, such as the out- 
side of the studs or the outside of the sheathing. There is a 
variation in practice among architects with respect to the point 
to which such measurements are taken. To determine which is 
used, the overall dimension of one side of the basement plan and 




66 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS §5 

the corresponding dimension of the first-floor plan should be 
compared, and if they are alike the architect has probably taken 
his distances for the first-floor plan from the outside of the 
sheathing. If, however, the dimension in the first-floor plan is 
2 inches less than in the basement plan, the architect has taken 
his dimensions from the outside of the studs. 

94. The building shown in the blueprints which accompany 
this Section has an outside covering of stucco. In this con- 
struction, the studs are first sheathed with 7/8-inch sheathing 
over which furring strips are placed and to which metal lath 
is applied. The surface of stucco brings the total construction 
to a thickness of 2^ inches outside the studs. As it is clear 
from the elevations and scale drawings, that this construction 
is carried out over the entire building, there need be none of 
this detail shown in the general plans and sections, excepting 
the inside and outside lines of the walls. The measurements 
of the frame of this building are taken from the outside of the 
studs and, therefore, are 5 inches smaller in each direction than 
the basement walls. 

95. Partitions, or Inside Walls. — Frame partitions 
are built up usually of 2''X4'' studs with lath and plaster on 
both sides, making a total thickness of 5^ inches to 6 inches, 
depending on the width of the stud and the thickness of the 
plaster. Such partitions are, however, shown on the plans as 
being 6 inches. The dimensions which locate the partitions are 
given usually to the centers of the partitions, which will be the 
center of the studs, and any difference in thickness is, therefore, 
divided between the rooms on both sides of the partitions, with- 
out materially affecting their size or proportions. Such a par- 
tition is indicated in Fig. 40 (&). 

96. Sometimes, to save room, a partition is erected with the 
studs flatwise, so as to take up only 2 inches in the thickness of 
the wall, making a partition somewhat less than 4 inches thick. 
Such a partition is shown at d on the blueprint of the First 
Floor Plan. This construction may be used where no weight 
comes on the partition or where the partition is short, as between 
closets. When studs are set flatwise the thickness of the par- 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 67 

tition should be especially marked on the plan, as at d. In other 
cases, the partition is made thicker, as at e, in order to continue 
the thickness of the partition at the colonnade between the hall 
and the living room, or to accommodate sliding doors, as at / 
between the hall and the dining room. In such cases it is cus- 
tomary to place a row of studs for each side of the partition, and 
the partitions are measured to the outside edge of the studs, and 
sometimes to the finished plaster surfaces. In other cases, as 
at g, the partition is made thicker to cover large pipes or other 
work in the partition. In this case there is a 4-inch soil pipe, 
having an outside size of 5^ inches in the partition. A 2-inch 
vent or waste pipe, being only 3^ inches over all, will readily 
be concealed in a 2''X4'' stud partition. 

97. Walls and partitions of wood-frame construction are 
indicated usually with the interior spaces entirely blank, as in 
(a) and (&), Fig. 40, or with wavy lines, as in (c). Some 
architects shade or darken the walls, as in (J), so that they will 
appear in a lighter blue color, or entirely white, in the blue- 
prints. Formerly it was the custom to color these spaces to 
represent the various materials, as already mentioned, but this 
custom has gone out of use, as the method of producing blue- 
prints makes it advisable to make all the indications so that 
they can be reproduced by blueprinting. 

98. Floors and Roofs. — Floors and roofs have their con- 
struction shown in the sections, or in the scale details. When 
the section is taken at right angles to the joists, the joists are 
shown in section with a notation of the size of the joists and 
their spacing on centers, as at g in the blueprint of the Trans- 
verse Section. The side view of the bridging is shown between 
the joists. When the section is taken lengthwise of the joists, 
ceiling beams, or rafters, the space occupied by them has usually 
a notation regarding the size and centering, the same as when 
the joists are at right angles to the section. An example of this 
is shown at d in the Longitudinal Section. Where bridging 
occurs, it is shown as vertical parallel lines, as at e. The size, 
direction, and spacing of the joists are generally indicated on 
the floor plans by arrows, as shown on the blueprint plans. 



68 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§5 



Rafters are sometimes shown as at / in the Longitudinal 
Section. 

99. Brick- Veneered Walls. — Brick- veneered walls con- 
sist of a sheathed wooden frame, outside of which is a 4-inth 
facing of brick. The general construction of such a wall is 
shown in perspective in Fig. 4L The frame wall occupies a 
space of 6 inches, including the sheathing and the inside plas- 



AirSpaoB 




tering. The brick is placed with a 2-inch air space between it 
and the sheathing, making a total thickness of about 12 inches. 
The frame for supporting the brick veneer is sometimes made 
of 2''X6" studs, in which case the wall will be 2 inches thicker 
than shown, or about 14 inches over all, of which thickness the 
frame wall occupies 8 inches. For very cheap work the sheath- 
ing is sometimes omitted, the brick wall being anchored to the 
edges of the studs, but this construction is not to be recom- 
mended. 



§ 5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 69 

Brick-veneered walls are shown in plan in Fig. 42, in which a 
is the brick veneer, & is a 2-inch air space, and c is a frame wall 
consisting of 2"X4'' studding with sheathing boards on the out- 
side, and lath and plaster on the inside, the construction being 
the same as shown in Fig. 41. 

100. A brick-veneered wall is similar 

in appearance to a solid brick wall, and 

any of the face bonds shown in Fig. 21 

may be used in brick-veneered work. 

Dimensions for brick-veneered walls 

^°' are given usually to the outside face of 

the brick, and the studs must be kept back a sufficient distance 

to allow for the brickwork, and for the air space between the 

brick and the sheathing. 



OPENINGS IN WALLS AND PARTITIONS 

101. Plain Openings. — Plain openings that are sim- 
ilar to door openings are shown in plan as in Fig. 43 (a) and 
(b). Such openings have a portion of the wall extending across 
the top, which is indicated by broken lines. An opening of this 
type may be finished in plaster all around, or it may be finished 
with wooden jambs and trim like an ordinary door. When 
trimmed with wood, the opening is sometimes marked Cased 
Opening, as in (a), and when the top, or head, is arched, it is 
marked Arched Opening, as in (&). 



102. Common Swinging Doors. — In Fig. 43 (c) is an 
indication of a single swinging door in a stud partition. The 
slanting line a or a line b shows the door and indicates on which 
side of the opening the door is hung. As a rule, the finished 
dimensions of the door are marked on it, the width being marked 
first and then the height, and sometimes the thickness. The 
door is occasionally numbered, as indicated in the figure, for 



70 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

reference in the specifications, or in large-scale details. A 
method of numbering doors is indicated in Fig. 37. In this 
example, the numbers are placed in circles, as close to the doors 
as possible. Each of these numbers begins with a 3, which 
indicates that the door is on the third floor of the building. 







The manner of indicating a common swinging door in eleva- 
tion is shown at h in the blueprint of the Transverse Section. 

103. Transoms. — Doors sometimes have openings above 
them called transoms, in which are sash or panels that can be 
opened separately for ventilation. In hotels and other places 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 71 

the transom is sometimes made with a wood panel, so as to 
prevent observation through it, while in others the panel is 
glazed for lighting the corridor. The customary method of 
indicating a transom over a door is to use the abbreviation Tr. 
or Tr. Over on the plan as in Fig. 43 (c). The details of these 
transoms are generally shown on the scale details. 

104. Double Doors. — An opening may be closed by a pair 
of doors hung from the two jambs as in Fig. 43 (d). Usually 
the size is marked on one door only, as the doors are of the 
same size. In some cases a ditto mark (/') is used to indicate 
that the doors have the same dimensions. 

105. Double- Acting Door. — An indication of a double- 
acting door is shown in Fig. 43 (e). The letters DA are fre- 
quently omitted. This door swings in either direction through 
the opening and is generally controlled by a spring that holds 
the door, while at rest, in a closed position in the opening. In 
the blueprint of the First Floor Plan two such doors are shown 
leading out of the pantry. Double doors may be double-acting 
also, that is, both doors may swing back and forth through the 
opening. 

106. A Double-Sliding Door. — A double-sliding door 
is indicated in Fig. 43 (/). The partition, which is a stud parti- 
tion, is made about 11 inches in thickness to accommodate the 
sliding doors, and the doors slide into pockets that are formed 
in these partitions. The doors between the dining room and 
the hall in the blueprint of the First Floor Plan are sliding 
doors, and the method of showing this indication is quite clear. 
As with other doors, the sizes of the individual doors are 
marked on the drawing. A single sliding door is like one of 
a pair of sliding doors and is indicated as in Fig. 43 (g). 

107. Door in a Masonry Wall. — A door in a brick or 
other masonry wall is indicated as in Fig. 43 (h). This indica- 
tion shows the door jambs at a, the wooden sill at b, and a 
stone or cement sill at c. 

The numbers in the circles at most of these doors are used 
when the doors are numbered on the plans. 



72 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



108. Accordion Door. — An accordion door, such as is 
used between lecture rooms, etc., is shown in Fig. 43 («*) . This 
door consists of a number of leaves hinged together and sup- 
ported on pivoted rollers or hangers moving along an overhead 



1 



WICKET 
(DOOR. 



DOUBLE DOOJ^ 

OPENING OUT 

(a) 



OPEN 
PAPTLV^A I J 
OPENEDy \ \\ 

/ \ III 



(c) 



■ 



POSITION OP 
I DOOR WHEN 
OPEN 



F 



"^^PAPTLY OPEN 



(e> 



I 



TIPPLE SWING DOOJ^ 



^CLOSED 



M 



I 



OPEN^^/^TPACK 

"* (d> ^PAPTLV OPENED 



I 



POLLING SHUTTER, 
(9) 



DOUBLE SLIDING DOORS 

SLIDE PAST EACH OTHER, 

(f) 



SCALE 



TYPICAL CAPAGB DOO^f 

Fig. 44 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 7Z 

track. In some cases the doors are used in two groups to 
meet in the center of the opening. When closed, this type of 
door presents a plain paneled surface, and when open, folds 
close against the jamb of the opening in the wall or into a 
pocket. At a, the dotted line indicates the door as closed, the 
other half, as at h, being partly open. At c the door is shown 
opened and fitting close against the jamb of the opening. 

109. Revolving- Doors. — A revolving door, indicated as 
shown in Fig. 43 (;'), is used at entrances to public buildings, 
where the doors are in constant use, and it is desired to prevent 
drafts and loss of heat. 

110. Garag-e Doors. — Small or private garages may have 
doors of any one of many styles, depending on the space avail- 
able for doors. Swinging doors usually open out, so as to 
economize space. Fig. 44 shows several methods of hanging 
doors. 

In (a) is shown a double door opening out, each door being 
hinged to the jamb. A small door, called a wicket door, is 
built in the left-hand door. In (&) is shown a triple door, two 
of which are hinged to the jambs, while the center one may be 
hinged to either of the other doors. In (c) is shown a double 
door sliding on an inside track, the hangers being provided 
with swivels to permit the doors to fold up, as shown. In (rf) 
is shown a triple door hung on the outside, two doors a and h 
sliding as in (c), the third door c being hinged to the middle 
door. In {e) the double doors are shown to slide around the 
corner to lie close against the side walls, requiring very little 
inside space. As shown in (/), the doors for a double garage 
slide past each other, so that either half of the front may be 
opened. This method is suitable for double garages where both 
doors need not be open at the same time. In {g) Is shown a 
rolling steel shutter which slides in grooves on the jambs, and 
rolls up into a metal casing above the door. 

Still other devices are available for particular situations, and 
most of them are patented. The particular kind of door used 
should be clearly specified and the drawing should show that 
the proper construction has been provided to receive the door. 



74 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§5 



WINDOWS 

111. In Fig. 45 are shown indications of different types of 
windows as they appear on plans and sections. Windows are 
often numbered on the plans in the same manner as are doors, 
the numbers being placed in circles, as close to the windows as 
possible. This method of numbering is shown in Fig. 37. In 



C^tt^ 




^ 



J^ 



/L 32Xf2 

HJNGED AT TOP 

<f) 



3L lOX !8 
/ilNGED AT TOP 

(g) 




this case each of the numbers begins with a 3, which indicates 
that the window is on the third floor of the building. 

112. Double-Hung- Windows. — In Fig. 45 (a) is an 
indication of a double-hung window in the outside wall of a 
frame building. The sash may be shown as at a, or as at h. 
Indications of such windows can be found on the blueprints 
of the Plans,, and the appearance of the exterior of such windows 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 75 

can be seen in the corresponding parts of the Elevations. The 
interior appearance of these windows is shown in the Sections. 
Either the size of the sash opening or the size of the glass may 
be shown, the custom varying in different parts of the country. 
In the blueprint of the South Elevation, the sizes of the open- 
mgs are shown; in Fig. 45 (a) the method showing the size of 
the glass is used, and the marking gives the number of lights and 
their size, the width of the light being given first. 

113. Double-Hung Windov^^s in a Masonry Wall. 

In Fig. 45 (b) is an indication of a double-hung window in a 
brick wall. This indication is used with any masonry wall, the 
only difference being in the manner of indicating the material 
of which the wall is composed, as stone, tile, or concrete. 
Double-hung windows in masonry walls must be provided with 
boxes a to contain the weights that counterbalance the sash. To 
accommodate these boxes, a jog, or rabbet, is built into each 
jamb or side of the masonry opening, or else the frame is first 
set and the masonry built against it. The stone sill projecting 
at the top of the drawing shows that it is the outside of the 
wall. The inside of the wall is indicated by the line showing 
the furring and plastering. 

114. Casement Windovvs. — In Fig. 45 (c) and (d) are 
shown casement windows, that is, windows that have pairs of 
sash that are hung at the sides like doors. The casement win- 
dows have their sills some distance above the floor line, some- 
what similar to double-hung windows. The indication in (c) 
shows a casement window in a frame building, the sash being 
shown opening out of the room. In (d) is shown a casement 
window in a masonry wall, the sash being shown opening into 
the room. 

115. French Windows. — French windows are windows 
having pairs of sash hung at the sides similar to casement win- 
dows, except that they extend down to the floor level, forming 
door-like features. French windows are shown in the blueprint 
of the First Floor Plan, at the opening from the living room to 
the side porch, and from the dining room to the breakfast porch. 



76 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 5 

On the blueprint they are marked Doors. The indications are 
the same as for casement windows. 

116. Sliding--Sash Windows. — Sash that slide hori- 
zontally are sometimes used, as in sleeping porches, when it is 
desired to open more than half of the window space. A method 
of indicating such a window is shown in Fig. 45 (^). 

117. Single-Sasli Windows. — When the opening is not 
large enough to permit the use of double-hung or casement sash, 
single-sash windows are used. These windows may be hinged 
at the side, top or bottom, and are indicated in plan as in 
Fig. 45 (/) when in a frame wall, and as in {g) when in a 
masonry wall. In {h) is shown a vertical section of the window 
shown in plan in {g), the sash being hinged at the top. When 
the sash is hung from the top, bottom or sides, the drawing 
should be marked hinged at top, etc., as the case may be. Single 
sash are generally shown close to the inside of the wall, and are 
very commonly used in basements of buildings. 

118. Single-sash windows may also, if desirable, be fixed 
so as not to open. In such cases, it is customary to mark them 
fixed sash as in Fig. 45 (i). Single sash are very frequently 
pivoted so as to swing either horizontally or vertically on pivots 
placed at the middle of the sash. When pivoted on a vertical 
axis, they are indicated in plan as in (/). When pivoted on a 
horizontal axis, they can be shown in section as in (k). 

119. Single-sash windows are frequently placed high up in 
the wall, so that a piece of furniture can be placed against the 
wall under them, or so that people cannot look through, but at the 
same time the window can be used to ventilate the room. The 
sash is then shown dotted, as in Fig. 45 (/). Such windows 
are shown in the kitchen in the blueprint of the First Floor Plan, 
the window being placed high up, as shown at i in the Transverse 
Section, so that servants cannot look out on the rear porch, and 
so that a table may be placed against the wall below the window. 

120. Single sash are sometimes used as transoms over win- 
dows in outside walls, in which case the indication appears with 



§5 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 77 

an added notation, giving the size of the glass or such infor- 
mation as will lead the contractor to examine the elevations 
or specifications. An indication of a transom is given in 
Fig. 45 (&). 

121. Interior Sasli. — Interior partitions are sometimes 
constructed with sash for lighting corridors or other parts of a 
building. Such a partition is indicated on the plans in the man- 
ner shown in Fig. 45 (w) and in section as in (w). Partitions 
of this nature are usually detailed, in order to show the mold- 
ings and the sizes of glass. 

122. Blinds. — Windows are sometimes equipped with 
blinds, or shutters, hinged at the sides of the frame, as shown 
on the blueprint of the South Elevation, at / and h. 



FIREPROOF WINDOIVS 

123. As a protection against fire, windows for industrial 
buildings or in places where there is an unusual fire hazard, are 
often made of metal and glazed with wire glass. The design of 
the sash may follow closely the style of wooden sash, particularly 
if sheet metal is used, so the indication of the window on the 
plans will be similar to that already shown for wooden frames 
and sash. It is customary, however, to mark the window, so that 
its construction will be readily understood, with such words as 
Metal Sash, Wire Glass, etc., as in Fig. 46 (a), so as to identify 
it for further description in the specifications. An elevation of 
this type of window is shown in (&). 

124. Steel Sash. — Some window openings, particularly 
very large openings, such as occur in large factory plants which 
require the maximum of light, are equipped with sash made of 
rolled-steel shapes and glazed with wire glass. These windows, 
or sash, may extend from floor to ceiling, and from column to 
column in the outside walls, as indicated In Fig. 46 (c), or the 
sash may extend in a practically unbroken surface from end to 
end of the building, as indicated in {d). Portions of the sash 
are made to swing or hinge for ventilation. These windows are 



78 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS §5 

better shown on an elevation, as in {e), which shows the sash 
between columns as in (c). In (/), which shows an elevation 
of {d), the sash extends in a continuous line across the face 
of the columns. The portions shown with diagonal lines are 
hinged or pivoted. The glass used for this type of window is 



x?Z 36"x36"DIV. 
,METAL SASH-W/Rg GLASS, 




STEEL SASH }2"x 18" LIGHTS'^ 



^ 



J^ STEEL 



(c) 



SASH J2X/8 LJCHTS 



t= 



id) 







(f> 
Fig. 46 



usually l(y'X16", WXW, or 14''X20", although other sizes 
may be used when desired. Several patented types of these 
windows are available. The architect may show these windows 
in scale details, or he may depend on the general plans and a 
description in the specifications. 



READING ARCHITECTS' 
BLUEPRINTS 

1842B (PART 2) Edition 1 



INDICATIONS USED IN DRAWINGS 

(Continued) 



INDICATIONS OF INTERIOR WOODWORK 



VARIOUS FEATURES 

1. Finish or Trim. — Interior woodwork consists of the 
woodwork used to finish or trim the building, and includes 
base, chair rail, picture molding, etc. It consists of thin 
strips of wood molded into pleasing shapes, and is often not 
more than 1 inch in thickness. For this reason it is seldom 
shown or indicated on the floor plans, but it is seen in sec- 
tions where the broad faces of the work are exposed. Thus, 
in the blueprint* of the First-Floor Plan, there are no indi- 
cations of base or picture molding, although they appear 
at g and h in the Longitudinal Section. Interior woodwork 
consists largely of molded surfaces, and the outlines of these 
moldings are shown in section on the scale details or full-size 
details, as was illustrated in Fig. 4 of Reading Architects' 
Bliieprints, Part 1. The kind of wood, and other information, 
is given in the specifications. 



*As occasion requires, reference will be made to the set of blueprints of 
a. dwelling furnished with Reading Architects' Blueprints, Part 1. The 
same references will apply to the corresponding set of plates that are 
bovind in this Part. 

COPYRIGHTED BY INTERNATIONAL TEXTBOOK COMPANY, ALL RIGHTS RESERVE^ 

§6 



2 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

2. Doors. — Doors are shown on general plans by heavy 
lines, as already described, or they may be shown on eleva- 
tions as in the blueprint of the South Elevation, at /, or in 
sections, as at h in the Transverse Section. The doors may 
be shown on scale details and parts of doors may be shown 
on full-size details. 

3. Built-in Features. — Work in the nature of book 
cases, mantels, kitchen and pantry dressers, etc. is frequently 
made to be fixed in place in the building. Such work may 
be made more or less completely in the shop, and then erected 
in place. These features appear on the general plans, as 
at h, i, and /, in the blueprint of the First-Floor Plan, and scale 
details are made to guide the contractor and the workmen. 
In some cases, working drawings are made by the carpenter 
contractor. The same method is followed with colonnades, 
arches, and similar work. Scale details showing interior 
woodwork are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of Reading Architects' 
Blueprints, Part 1, and further descriptions of this kind of 
work will be found in Part 3 of the same subject, which fol- 
lows this Section. 



4. General Considerations. — More mistakes are made 
in the drawing and arranging of stairs than of any other part 
of the building. It is, therefore, very important to be able 
to determine from an inspection of the plans whether suf- 
ficient space has been allowed for the stairs. This space 
should be sufficient to accommodate a series of steps of such 
a size as to be comfortable for ordinary use, and also so arranged 
that the distance between any step and the construction 
above the steps will be sufficient so that an adult walking 
up or down the stairs will not come in contact with the over- 
head construction. 

5. Headroom. — The distance between the steps and 
the construction directly over them is known as headroom, 
and should not be less than 7 feet. The subject of headroom 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 3 

is illustrated in Fig. 1, where a flight of stairs is shown in 
section. The floor construction a extending over the lower 
steps is called the header, and the steps consist of treads b and 
the risers e. At no point should the headroom be less than 
shown between the tread b and the overhead part a. If the 
construction a were to extend further over the stairs below 



as at c, it would be impossible for a person to walk up or down 
these stairs without stooping or striking the construction 
above. 

It will be seen in Fig. 1, that if the ceiling height is 8 feet 
lOi inches, the stairs cannot extend more than three risers 
under the header a before the minimum headroom is obtained. 
The header must always be located at a sufficient distance 
horizontally from the top riser / so that the vertical distance 
between the header a and the tread directly below it, as at e, 
will be not less than 7 feet. If the height of the risers is 
known, it is possible to determine over which riser there will 
be such headroom and the header can be located accordingly. 



4 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

The number of such risers, counted from the top, may be 
found by the following rule: 

Rule. — To the proper headroom, 7 feet, add the thickness 
of the floor construction, and divide the sum by the height of one 
riser. The result will he the least allowable number of risers 
from the floor above to the riser directly below the header. 

For example, if in Fig. 1 the height of the riser is 7i inches, 
according to the rule the nearest that the header could be 
to the top of the stairs would be over the thirteenth riser, 
counted from the top, and preferably it would be placed over 
the fourteenth, as shown in the illustration. 

6. In some cases the stairs are placed directly over each 
other, as at m / in the blueprint of the First-Floor Plan. In 
such cases, approximately one-half of the stairs ascending 
from the first floor, and a portion of the stairs descending 
from the first floor, are shown in the same plan. A broken 
line n is shown across these stairs where these indications 
meet. Whether there is sufhcient headroom for stairs so 
shown can be determined by counting the number of riser 
lines on the plan. If the treads and risers are of the cus- 
tomary size, there should be at least thirteen risers between 
the first ascending riser and the first descending riser. 

7. In case it is found, when the stairs are tested by the 
foregoing rules, that sufficient headroom has not been pro- 
vided, the architect should be notified, so that he may examine 
the indications of the stairs to see if the design is correct. 

8. Number of Treads and. Risers. — The number of 
risers for any flight, as well as the height of the riser, is deter- 
mined in the following manner: Let it be assumed that the 
height of the story, from floor to floor, is 10 feet 5 inches 
and that it is desired to have a riser approximately 7^ inches 
in height. The height of the story, 10 feet 5 inches, or 125 
inches, is then divided by T-g-, and the result is found to be 16f . 
This would mean that sixteen and two-thirds risers of this 
height would be required. As it is obviously impossible to 
use two-thirds of a riser, either sixteen or seventeen risers 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 5 

of equal height must be used. Dividing the story height 
125 inches, by 16 gives the result 7.81. In other words, if 
sixteen risers are used, each riser must be 7.81 inches, or 
practically, 7x1 inches in height. If it is decided, however, 
to use seventeen risers, 125 inches will be divided by 17, and 
the result will be 7.35 inches, or practically 7f inches. 

The foregoing process may be stated in the form of a rule 
as follows: 

Rule. — Assume a convenient height for the riser, and divide 
the height of the story by this height. This will generally give 
a number and a fraction. Dividing the height of the story by 
the nearest whole number will give the exact height of the riser 
to be used. 

9. Indication of Stairs. — Stairs are indicated on plans 
by lines showing the location of the treads, as well as the 
newels and hand rail. As the stairs extend from floor to floor, 
the entire flight is not shown on any one plan. Instead, only 
a portion of each flight leading from any floor is shown on the 
plan of that floor. For example, in the blueprint of the First- 
Floor Plan, the flight of stairs k leading from the hall to the 
second floor is shown only in part. Beneath the upper por- 
tion of the flight, a toilet room is located. 

Another case is shown in I and m, where one flight of stairs 
ascends directly above another flight. A portion of one flight / 
going down from the pantry is shown, and a portion of the 
flight m running up from the kitchen, is shown. These por- 
tions are separated on this plan by the broken line n. The 
remaining portions of these flights are shown on the base- 
ment and the second-floor plans. An outside stair to the 
basement is shown at o. 

10. It is customary and advisable to show the location 
of the stairs on the elevations or sections whenever possible. 
This practice tends to insure proper headroom, as it gives an 
opportunity to check up the risers, treads, and story heights, 
as well as the openings that must be left to receive the stairs. 
The architect usually figures these dimensions out carefully 
whether he Duts all the lines on the drawings or not. When 



6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

the section cannot be taken longitudinally through the stairs 
the outline of the treads and risers is sometimes shown in 
dotted lines on either the elevations or sections, as in the blue- 
prints of the East Elevation and of the Longitudinal and 
Transverse Sections. 

11. The architect designs the general arrangement of the 
stairs, and usually prepares a scale detail giving measurements 
which have been carefully worked out. An example of such 
a detail is given in Fig. 2, which shows the horizontal dis- 
tance that must be allowed for framing the stairs to be 10 feet 
8 inches for the actual open space, to which must be added 

2 inches for the thickness of the fascia and the thickness of 
the top riser. An additional 1 inch is allowed for blocking 
or adjusting, making a total distance of 10 feet 11 inches. 
The height of the story from floor to floor is 10 feet, or 120 
inches, which, with sixteen risers, makes the height of each 
riser 7^ inches. The horizontal distance required for the 
treads is 15X10 inches =150 inches, or 12 feet 6 inches. 

For headroom, the header is placed above the nosing of 
the fourteenth tread, making a total distance down from the 
second floor of 14X7^ inches =105 inches, or 8 feet 9 inches. 
From this will be taken the thickness of the floor construction, 
consisting of 12 inches for the joists, 2 inches for the double 
floor, and 1 inch for the plaster, making a total of 1 foot 

3 inches. This distance, taken from 8 feet 9 inches, leaves 

7 feet 6 inches for the headroom. As already explained, the 
headroom should be at least 7 feet, so this space is ample. 

This drawing is a detail of the main stairs of the building 
shown in the blueprints and should be carefully studied in 
connection with the prints. 



INDICATIONS OF PLUMBING WORK 

12. Pliunbers' Work. — The work of the plumber is 
shown on drawings by the location of the several fixtures 
which he is to install, together with the principal soil, waste, 
and vent pipes. These fixtures consist of bathtubs, shower 



I I tH- 




1^ 



® 



® 



® 



w 



© 



VlO- flO- \-10- A-JCh^ \-/Ch- x-JO- -L/O- 4- lO"- ^lO-^IC "- 



PLAN_ 

14 '- -f-^^— 




W£Sr GLGVATION 



I L T 448 BB274 1842B 



L 



^ i® 



■JO— \> — — J -6- 



DtTAIU 



2 >^J2 foists 




rp/J r p-mST fLOOR. 

A/O&T/f £:LE:VAriON 

94210 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 7 

baths, wash basins, water closets, kitchen and pantry sinks, 
laundry trays or tubs, and refrigerator wastes. The fixtures 
are seldom located exactly on the plan by dimensions, but the 
architect should allow sufficient room for their installation 
and proper use. The sizes and designs of the various fixtures 
are found in the catalogs of the manufacturers. 

13. Baths, or Bathtubs. — Indications of baths of 
various kinds are shown in Fig. 3 (a), (6), (c), {d), and {e). 

Built-in Baths. — In (a) is shown a bath that is built into 
a comer tightly against both walls a, so that there will be no 
spaces to catch dirt between the bath and the walls. The 
rounded comers of the tub are shown at b, and the circle c 
represents a shower head, or shower, placed so as to send a 
spray of water over a bather standing in the tub. The 
double circle d represents a ring placed at the same height 
as the shower. To this ring is attached a rubber curtain 
which can be drawn so as to enclose the bather and prevent 
the water from splashing into the room. 

Recessed Baths. — In (6) is shown an indication for a bath 
that is built against the wall on three sides, the front only 
being exposed. A shower appliance is indicated at the right- 
hand end of this bath. 

Roll- Rim Baths. — In (c) is a free-standing roll-rim bath. 
Such a fixture stands on the floor on four cast-iron or porcelain 
feet, and is free from the wall all around. At a is the end 
where the water supply enters and the waste water runs out. 
The end b is semicircular in form and inclined inward to the 
line c. The thickness of the rim is the distance between the 
lines d and e. The rounded comers of the tub are shown 
at/. 

Shower Baths. — In (d) is indicated a shower bath built in 
the form of a compartment, having sides formed of slabs of 
marble or glass, and a glass door in the front. The sides and 
the door prevent the water from splashing out of the com- 
partment. A receptor, or tray, a is formed as a floor for this 
device, and. is drained toward the center, where the water 
enters a trap below the floor. 




(a) 

LEFT-HAND CORNEQ. 

bATMTLfB ■ 

NOm:RlQMT-MAND COIlNtQ. 

BATflTUb RtVEJ^£.D 



R^CESS£D bA'WTUB 
W/m StlOWEI^ A T END 





J-NOWER^ BATN 
MAJIBLE-STALL SHOWER^DAm 

WfTM GLASS DOOR_ 
B UIL T IN S/fOlVEJl BA TN- 

W/m CURTAIN P£)D 



KITCNEN OJdPANTAYS/N/6 
W/m D/^/N BOA/$pS 



d 
(h) 

L/PPED U/ilNAL 




LAVA T O Rj / ES 
(J) CO/^EJl LAVATO/^ 
(1c) STRAIG/iT E/^ONT LAVATOf^ 
(I) OVAL LAVATO/^ 



(i) 

'STALL UJ^NAL 

Km) \_J(n) 

WATE/l^ CLOSETS 



(o) (p) 

^ LAUND/iV T/^YS 
Fig. 3 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 9 

A shower bath in a compartment or alcove is indicated 
in (e) and, instead of a door, a rubber curtain supported on 
a rod is provided for the opening. 

14. Kitchen and Pantry Sinks. — In Fig. 3 (/) is 
indicated a typical sink such as is commonly used in kitchens 
and pantries. This sink is marked 21"XS6", which are the 
horizontal dimensions. Drain boards are shown at each end 
of the sink, and grooves, as a, b, formed in these boards drain 
water off the boards into the sink. Sinks are indicated in 
the kitchen and pantry in the blueprint of the First-Floor 
Plan. 

15. Medicine Closet. — The method of indicating a 
medicine closet that is built into a wall is shown in Fig. 3 (g) . 
This indication shows the approximate size of the closet and 
the direction in which the door swings. The usual location 
of a medicine closet is in the bathroom above the wash basin. 
The doors of medicine closets are usually fitted with mirrors 
instead of wood panels. Medicine closets are seen in two 
of the bathrooms in the blueprint of the Second-Floor Plan. 

16. Urinals. — Two styles of urinals are indicated in 
Fig. 3 (h) and (i). In (h) is shown a standard form of lipped 
urinal secured to the wall a. The waste or outlet of the 
urinal is at &, and the lip, from which the urinal is named, is 
at e. Slabs of slate or marble / are generally placed at the 
back and at each side of these urinals. 

17. Stall Urinals. — In Fig. 3 (i) are indicated what are 
known as stall urinals. These are made of solid porcelain, 
and are often placed between partitions, as shown. The lip- 
shaped receptors are shown at a, and are in one piece with the 
urinal. Such urinals are not used in private homes, but are 
used in offices, manufacturing buildings, and in schools. 

18. Wasli Basins. — In Fig. 3 (/), (k), and (I) are shown 
indications of wash basins, or lavatories. The one in (;) is a 
comer basin having an oval-shaped bowl, and has backs, 
ivhich are shown against the walls by the double line. The 



10 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

basin in (k) is a plain basin placed against a wall. In (/) is 
a free-standing basin supported on a pedestal. Wash basins 
are indicated in the bathrooms in the blueprints of the Second- 
Floor Plan, and in the toilet rooms in the Basement and the 
First-Floor Plans. 

19. Water Closets. — In Fig. 3 (m) and (n) are indi- 
cations of two styles of water-closet fixtures. The drawing 
in (m) shows a closet with a low-down tank, that is, a tank 
placed just above the back of the closet. A closet with a high 
tank is indicated in (n). A low-tank closet is shown in the 
toilet room under the main stairs in the blueprint of the First- 
Floor Plan. Water closets are located also in the toilet room 
in the Basement Plan, and in the bathrooms in the Second- 
Floor Plan. 

20. Laundry Trays. — In Fig. 3 (o) and (p) are indica- 
tions of laundry trays, or tubs, and two groups of trays are 
shown. The indication (o) is for wooden, slate, or soapstone 
trays. For porcelain trays (p), the edges are made thicker, 
and the corners are rounded, as at c. A set of three trays is 
shown in the laundry in the blueprint of the Basement Plan. 

21. All of the indications of plumbing fixtures just given 
merely show that a given fixture is required in a given posi- 
tion. There is no attempt made to give details of the fixture. 
The complete description is always given in the specifications, 
or else the number and make of the fixture are specified, and 
the corresponding specification is found in the manufacturer's 
catalog. Some architects make it a practice to give the 
plumbing fixtures a number on the drawing for more certain 
reference in the specifications. 

22. Stacks. — The pipes that serve to carry the soil and 
waste materials from the various fixtures are generally indi- 
cated on the plans. These pipes should be so arranged that 
they will not cut through the framework of the building, and 
so that they will not be seen. For this reason, partitions to 
cover the pipes must be built sometimes with 2"X6" studs. 
The vertical pipes in the building are referred to as stacks. 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 11 

and are indicated by small circles in the plans, and generally 
are marked to show their sizes and purposes. Thus, in con- 
nection with the pantry in the blueprint of the First-Floor 
Plan, a circle representing a 4-inch soil pipe appears in the 
partition between the pantry and the stairs. In the kitchen 
the corner of the room is boxed off to take a soil pipe as shown. 
These stacks serve the kitchen fixtures and the laundry in 
the basement, as well as the fixtures of a bathroom on the 
second floor. The Second-Floor Plan shows these same stacks, 
but in this plan they are marked Vent, since no fixtures dis- 
charge into them above that floor, and therefore they act 
merely as vent pipes. Indications of stacks will be seen in 
connection with all g'roups of fixtures and all single fixtures. 

23. Drains. — ^As a rule all the vent stacks go through 
the roof, and all soil and waste stacks go down to the cellar, 
and thence into a series of almost horizontal pipes called 
drains or house drains. These drains are sometimes indi- 
cated on the cellar plan of the building, and sometimes, 
especially where the sewage system of the building is some- 
what complicated, on a special plumbing plan. A plumbing 
section is shown in Fig. 5 of Part 1, Reading Architects' Blue- 
prints, and this should be carefully studied. 

The drains, besides receiving the contents of the stacks, 
are often required to take the rain water from the rain con- 
ductors, or leaders, and also any water that might collect 
on the cellar or area floors. 

24. Example of a Drainage System. — In Fig. 5 of 
Part 1, Reading Architects' Blueprints, a drainage system 
is indicated which drains all the stacks from the groups of 
plumbing fixtures shown. It also drains all leaders, as shown 
by the leaders numbered 1, 2, 3, and J).. All of these leaders 
extend up to the roof, although portions are omitted in this 
drawing to avoid confusion in the lines of the drawing. The 
drainage system collects all the soil and water and carries it 
to the house trap just before it leaves the building. This trap 
is usually contained in a manhole or brick box having a stone 
or iron cover. The manhole can thus be opened at any time 

274—7 



12 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

and the house trap examined. The house trap is always pro- 
vided with a fresh-air inlet which admits fresh air to the 
inside of the trap. The small circles, shown in the areas 
and in the boiler room in the blueprint of the Basement Plan, 
indicate drains and traps in one fixture. 

25. The rain conductors, or leaders, are taken care of 
from a point just above the grade line by the plumber, who 
provides a cast-iron pipe and a trap for each leader stack. 
An inspection of the blueprint of the South Elevation will 
show at the foot of each leader the hub of a length of cast- 
iron pipe. 

On the blueprints of the Basement and the First-Floor 
Plans the rain conductors are marked R. C, and their sizes 
are given. The rain conductors are sometimes marked Cond., 
for conductor. 

INDICATIONS OF SHEET-METAL WORK 

26. Rain Conductors, or Leaders. — The portions of 
the leaders above the cast-iron pipes installed by the plumber 
are generally of sheet metal. The blueprint of the First- 
Floor Plan shows them to be rectangular in shape and 3'''X4" 
in size for the main roof, and lf"X2i" for the porches. 

The blueprint elevations show the leaders on this build- 
ing. At the top of the leader is a leader head, or box, shown 
at q in the South Elevation. When the cornice has con- 
siderable projection, as in this case, a gooseneck p is pro- 
vided. This is a piece of pipe that is curved at the ends 
and connects the gutter with the leader head. The goose- 
necks can be seen in the East and the West Elevations. 

27. Gutters. — The gutters that receive the rain water 
from the roof are shown in the blueprints of the elevations. 
The gutter is generally pitched, that is, the bottom of the 
gutter slopes down toward the goosenecks, although the top 
of the gutter is kept level for the sake of appearance. 

28. Roofs. — Roofs that are to be covered with sheet 
metal are generally so marked on the drawings. The metal 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 13 

to be used is sometimes mentioned on the drawings and should 
always be described in detail in the specifications. 

29. Flashings and Counterf lashings. — ^Flashings are 
used to cover the joints between different parts of the build- 
ing where water would enter, were the joints not properly 
covered. The principal places where flashing is used is at 
the angles between roofs and walls or chimneys, as at h in 
the blueprint of the South Elevation. 

30. Between the chimney e and the roof is shown a con- 
struction called a cricket, or saddle, the purpose of which is 
to divert the water from the back of the chimney. This 
construction is covered with metal which extends under the 
roofing and is turned up against the chimney, the turned-up 
edge being covered by counterflashing. In the West Ele- 
vation, the same construction is indicated behind the chim- 
ney by broken lines. 



INDICATIONS OF HEATING EQUIPMENT 

31. Types of Heating Apparatus. — ^The three com- 
monly used types of heating apparatus are hot air, hot water, 
and steam. Heat is supplied for hot air by a furnace, and for 
hot water or steam by a boiler. An indication of a boiler 
is shown on the blueprint of the Basement Plan. 

32. Registers. — In buildings that are heated by hot 
air, the air enters the rooms through registers generally made 
of cast iron. These registers are sometimes placed in the 
walls or partitions, and sometimes in the floor or ceiling. A 
wall register is indicated as in Fig. 4 (a), a ceiling register as 
in (6), and a floor register as in (c). In the blueprint of the 
First-Floor Plan, floor registers are shown at p in the dining 
room and at q in the living room. A register face is seen in 
the partition under the stairs in Fig. 2. 

At a in Fig. 4 {d) is shown a section through a hot-air duct, 
such as is placed in a wall or partition, for carrying hot air 
from a furnace to a register located in one of the rooms of 



14 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§6 



(a) 



% 




the building. When provided with a wall outlet, the register 
appears as a heavy solid line, as at 6. An arrow shown at c 
with a straight shaft indicates the direction in which the 
air flows. 

When a ventilating system is provided, and air is to be 
removed from a room, the register face in a wall appears as 
in Fig. 4 {e), the outlined register indicating that the air 
passes out from the room into a conveying duct. A ceiling 
register or outlet is indicated as in (/), and a floor outlet as 
in {g). When an outlet duct in a wall is shown in plan, it 

appears as at a in 
Qi), a register face 
being shown as a 
rectangle enclosed 
with light lines h, 
the arrow c with a 
wavy shaft indicat- 
ing the flow of air 
from the room into 
the duct. 

The register faces 
through which the 
air passes are usually 
marked with the size 
of the face as in (a) 
and {e), the abbre- 
viationi?^g. for regis- 
ter being applied 
sometimes when a 
hot-air or fresh-air 
register is indicated, 
and Vent, being used for a ventilating flue or outlet. 

Register faces placed in front of concealed radiators are 
shown the same as hot-air registers. Examples of these reg- 
isters are seen in the blueprint of the First-Floor Plan at r, 
where there is a radiator concealed under the main stairs in 
the hall, and another radiator concealed under the seat in 
the living room, at 5. 



(b) 



(f) 



(c) 



(I) \ 3C0l.J(yS£C.SS°38"Y -~-^D. 
Fig. 4 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 15 

33. Radiators. — A hot- water or steam radiator is indi- 
cated on plans by a plain rectangle with the abbreviation 
Rod. as in Fig. 4 {i). The type and capacity of the radiator 
are indicated by the figures and marks in or near the rectangle 
By 3-col. is meant a three-column radiator, there being three 
vertical passages through which the water or steam passes 
By 10-sec. is meant that there are 10 sections to the radiator 
The 38" shows the height of the radiator above the floor, and 
the 66° gives the number of square feet of radiating surface 
in the radiator. These marks are generally given to the 
architect by the heating contractor. They are often omitted 
from the architect's drawings and shown on a separate set 
of drawings that are prepared by the heating contractor. 

34. Radiators are sometimes concealed and the heat 
from them enters the room through a register or grille. In 
the blueprint of the First-Floor Plan, at s in the living room, 
a radiator is concealed beneath the seat, which is marked Seat, 
rod. under. In such a case the register is fitted into the front 
of the seat. A radiator is also concealed under the stairs in 
the hall, as shown at r, from which the heated air enters the 
hall through a hinged register, as shown at 5 in the scale 
detail, Fig. 2. 

35. Radiators are sometimes arranged so that fresh air 
is taken from the outside of the building and heated by the 
radiators before it enters the room. Such radiators are 
known as indirect radiators, and are generally concealed 
below the floor of the room to be heated. The air passes to 
the room through a duct and a floor or wall register. Thus, 
indirect radiators are placed under the living room and under 
the dining room shown in the blueprint of the First-Floor 
Plan, and the heated air enters through the floor registers p 
and q. 

36. The piping used for hot-water and steam heating is 
seldom shown on the plans, as the exact location depends 
somewhat on the location of the studs, joists, and other 
framing. The sizes of the piping are seldom indicated on the 



16 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§6 



architect's plans, but this information appears in the specifica- 
tions, or in the plans prepared by the heating contractors. 

37. Kitclien Range. — In Fig. 5 is indicated an arrange- 
ment of a kitchen range and the smoke flue in connection 
with it. The rectangle, 2' 6" X4' 6" , represents the range 
itself, the larger rectangle representing the cement or brick 
hearth. Back of the range is a brick wall 8i inches thick, 
and at the right side of the range is a chimney flue a. This 
flue is shown surrounded by double lines which indicate terra- 
cotta flue lining. The space h between the flue lining and 

the brick flue is carried 

^ ■ - up to the top of the 

chimney and serves as a 
ventilating duct to take 
away odors from the 
kitchen. At c is a regis- 
ter set in the face of the 
flue through which hot 
air and odors pass into 
the ventilating flue h. 
Below this ventilating 
register is an opening through which passes the sheet-iron flue 
from the range to the smoke flue a, thus forming the draft 
connection for the fire in the range. 



y////^r/////////m ^ 



^ao 



COMB COAL <$ 
\ GAS R,ANGE 
H(^ 4' -6" ■■ 



CEAIE/Zr nEAf^TJ-h 




RA.NQB AND BOlLELf^^ 

Fig. S 



38. At (i is a circle representing a range boiler for hot 
water. The boiler is connected with the range and is shown 
standing on the hearth. A gas heater with a separate gas 
connection is sometimes connected to the boiler for the pur- 
pose of heating water independently of the range. 

39. In the blueprint of the First-Floor Plan, at t in the 
kitchen a boiler is indicated in the manner shown in Fig. 5, 
and its capacity is 60 gallons. 

Sometimes a boiler is supported from the ceiling in a hori- 
zontal position. In this manner floor space is saved, but in 
general the arrangement is not so satisfactory as when the 
boiler is vertical. 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 17 



INDICATIONS OF GAS AND ELECTRICITY 

40. Gas Heating and Lighting. — Gas is used for both 
fuel and for illuminating purposes. As a fuel it is usually- 
connected to a combination range or to a gas range, and an 
outlet must be pro- 



k 


r GAS 
-J- ~(a)~ 




(0) 


^'^ 

m 



vided near the range, 

as in Fig. 6(a). This 

outlet is marked F. 

or F. G., to indicate 

that fuel gas is to ^'°- ^ 

be brought to that point. On a plan, fuel-gas outlets are 

indicated as in {h) when a wall outlet is to be provided, as 

in (c) when a ceiling outlet is to be provided, and as in {d) 

when a floor outlet is to be provided. 

41. Symbols for illuminating gas are similar to those for 
fuel gas, except that the letters F. or F. G. are omitted. A 

number is affixed to 
t the symbol, indicat- 



|b^ 1B('? ^C^^ ^"^^ *^® number of 

(a) (!) (c) gas tips on the fix- 

p^^ y ture. Thus, in Fig. 

7 (a) a two-tip wall 
outlet is represented, in (&) a three-tip ceiling outlet, and 
in {c) a four- tip floor outlet. These symbols on the plans 
indicate to the gas-fitter that he must install piping to supply 
the correct number of tips, but do not necessarily indicate 
that the fixtures are to be included in his contract. 

42. Electricity. — In electric wiring, the indications 
show the location of the outlets to which the wiring must be 
brought, and the l : i 



number of lights for 1 -j- — y^ .. — IT -^ * 

which provision must ^£^ )£^ J_£|^ lZj y^ 

be made. Thus, in C<^> 0>) «^) W (^) 

Fig. 8 (a) a two-light ^'''- ^ 

wall outlet is indicated; in (&) a three-light ceiling outlet, 



18 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

or drop light, is indicated; in (c) a four-light floor outlet; in 
(d) a five-light baseboard outlet, and in (e) a special outlet 
for such purpose as may be designated. The wiring itself is 
not indicated on the architects' plans. 

43. Corabination Outlets. — In many cases a fixture 
is arranged for both gas and electricity. Thus, in Fig. 9 (a) 

u 4 is shown a wall outlet for 

^ 'jXr 1- v^/ three electric lights and two 

)Si2G )i(^ gas tips, while in (6) is shown 

(<*) (^^ a ceiling outlet for four elec- 

^^^' ^ trie lights and three gas tips. 

It will be noted that the number of electric lights is always 

placed above the number of gas tips. The letter E for 

electric lights and G for gas tips are sometimes omitted, but 

such an omission is apt to cause confusion. 

44. other Electrical Indications. — Switches to con- 
trol the electric lighting are frequently shown on the archi- 
tect's plans. One method of indicating switches is shown 
at a in Fig. 10, an 5 being shown for each switch. When the 

number of switches is large, ^^__ 

a Roman numeral is some- ] , i„, ^ , , . . t 

times used to indicate the 

number. Some architects 

draw lines from the switches 

to the lights which they 

control, as at &. A panel 

board, or distributing panel, 

from which the electric 

current is distributed to 

various points, is indicated X^T 

at c. 

An outlet for a telephone is indicated at d. This indica- 
tion means usually that the contractor is to provide a conduit 
from the place where the telephone line enters the building 
to an outlet box at the point indicated. This permits the 
telephone company to install the instrument without boring 
holes or running exposed wires. Annunciators are indicated 




§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 19 

as at e, the numeral indicating the number of points to which 
the annunciator is connected. 

These indications are the ones commonly used by archi- 
tects. Electrical contractors sometimes prepare more elab- 
orate working plans, showing in greater detail the arrangement 
of their circuits and other equipment. These plans are sub- 
mitted to the architect for approval. 



PLANS OF A FRAME DWELLING 

45. General Description. — In the foregoing Section 
and in the preceding pages of this Section, have been explained 
in detail the methods by which architects indicate on draw- 
ings the various forms of construction and the different mate- 
rials used in buildings. In connection with these explana- 
tions, frequent reference has been made to the set of blue- 
prints of a dwelling which accompany Reading Architects^ 
Blueprints, Part 1. These blueprints will now be analyzed 
in order to make plain how the intentions of the architect 
have been indicated. 

46. It is the aim of the architect to make his drawings 
so that they will convey definite ideas and be readily under- 
stood by men who are familiar with building materials and 
the methods of using them. Therefore, it is important that 
there shall be a definite reason for every symbol, line, letter, 
or figure placed on a drawing. No line or mark that does 
not have a special significance should appear on the drawings, 
as such lines or marks would confuse the contractor. 

Repetition of indications or measurements on features 
that are identical in size and form need not, however, be 
made. For example, when belt courses, cornices, columns, 
etc., are ornamented by carvings, the ornamentation is often 
indicated over only part of the surface, and the fact that the 
entire surface is to be carved is indicated by the words repeat 
ornament or continue carving. In no case, however, should 
any room be left for doubt regarding the amount of work 
called for. 



20 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

47. Architects differ in their methods of making drawings, 
and the reader in the course of his experience will see draw- 
ings that differ in some respects from those shown in the 
accompanying set of blueprints. These blueprints show, 
nevertheless, a complete representation of the building at a 
scale of one-quarter of an inch to the foot, and are standard, 
first-class drawings. 

48. This set of blueprints consists of four floor plans, 
four elevations, and two sections. Each of these drawings 
is important and necessary, and shows features of design 
and construction that are not shown on the other drawings 
of the set. Taken together, they form what is called a "set 
of plans" or "the working drawings." 

For the benefit of readers who may not have the blueprints 
at hand, a set of plates is inserted in this book. These plates 
are duplicates of the blueprints, except in the matter of scale, 
the blueprints being at a scale of I' = 1' 0', while the plates 
are at the scale indicated on the drawings. 

49. A set of blueprints, such as these, together with a set 
of specifications, is what the contractor receives from an 
architect when the contractor is asked to give an estimate of 
the cost of the building. It is therefore important that the 
contractor should thoroughly understand the drawings in 
order that he may figure the costs of the building intelli- 
gently. 

50. Description of the Building. — The building 
shown on the blueprints is an eight -room residence, consist- 
ing of two stories, a basement, and an attic, or third floor. 
In addition to the living room, dining room, kitchen, and 
five bedrooms which make up the eight principal rooms, there 
are the various halls, stairs, closets, bathrooms, porches, etc., 
that are generally required in a house of this character. 

The house is built upon a concrete foundation and the cel- 
lar or basement walls are of concrete. The upper walls are 
of wooden frame construction covered with lath and stucco, 
and the roof is covered with shingles. 



flR^T ^ TLOOR^^ PLAN 



KE^Y 

I I Frame 




I L T 53H, 448 BB239, 3075B 267, 2175B 274, 1842B 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 21 



FIRST-FLOOR PLAN 

51. General Description. — A floor plan is a horizontal 
section through a building, and it shows the arrangement of 
parts on any one floor. A plan should be drawn for each 
floor of a building, as a rule. For the building shown in the 
blueprints, there are four plans, one each of the basement, first, 
second, and third, or attic, floors. The roof plan is combined 
with the third-floor plan, and the foundation plan with the 
basement plan. Of these plans the most important is the First- 
Floor Plan, as it shows the principal rooms of the house, those 
in which the family live and in which guests are entertained. 

52. The rooms found on this plan are the living room, the 
dining room, and the kitchen. In addition to these, there is 
a hall, which communicates with the living room, the dining 
room, the rear porch, and the vestibule, as well as with the 
kitchen, the coat closet, and the toilet room beneath the main 
stairs. A large side porch extends along the left side of the 
living room. An enclosed porch is shown on the right of the 
dining room, and is designed to be used as a breakfast porch 
or room. Between the kitchen and the dining room is the 
pantry, from which the meals are served to the dining room 
and the breakfast porch. From this pantry, stairs lead to 
the basement. A service porch is provided at the rear of 
the building to give access to the kitchen. A large closet at 
the rear of the kitchen contains the refrigerator, into which 
ice is placed through the ice door in the service-porch wall. 
From the kitchen a flight of stairs, called the service stairs, 
or back stairs, leads to the second floor. 

53. Entrance. — ^The first feature that is met b}'- a per- 
son entering this building is the front steps. These are shown 
in the plan by four curved lines, three of which are stopped at 
the ends by rectangles projecting from the building. The 
steps themselves are made of brickwork, as is indicated by 
the numerous lines. The platform or fioor is marked Brick 
Floor. The rectangles on each side of the floor are dotted 
indicating stone, concrete, or stucco. 



22 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

54. In order to comprehend fully the meaning of this 
plan of the entrance steps, it is necessary to consult other 
drawings in this set. On the South Elevation is seen an 
elevation of these steps. The steps themselves are indi- 
cated as brick, and the rectangles on the plan are here shown 
to represent blocks of concrete on each side of the steps. 
These blocks are known as cheeks. The height of the risers 
and the height of the cheeks can be measured from this 
elevation. 

The idea of these steps as given in the plan is very dif- 
ferent from the idea shown in the elevation. Each idea is in 
itself incomplete, but the plan and the elevation taken 
together give a very satisfactory conception of the design of 
the steps. 

The East Elevation shows a side view, or elevation, of the 
steps. The cheek is seen, and it hides most of the steps from 
sight. By the use of broken lines, however, they are indi- 
cated. The West Elevation gives a similar view of the other 
side of these steps. 

The Basement Plan gives further information regarding 
the foundations of these steps. This foundation is designed 
to support the steps, platform, and the cheeks. The indi- 
cations are those for concrete. 

55. On the First-Floor Plan will be seen a section line 
A-B cutting through the plan. There must therefore be a 
section on the line A-B. This is found to be the Transverse 
Section. At the left-hand side of this section will be found 
a section through the steps. This section gives valuable 
information regarding the construction of these steps which 
appears on neither the elevation nor the plan. It shows a 
cut through the steps and platform, which are indicated as 
brickwork. It also shows that the steps are supported upon 
an inclined reinforced-concrete slab, the lower end of which 
rests upon a concrete wall, and the upper end on the wall b. 
The double line under the brick platform and steps indicates 
a space for the mortar bed in which the bricks are laid. The 
supporting wall a extends far enough into the ground beloxv 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 23 

the grade line so that it will not be moved by the action of 
frost. Around these walls are indications showing earth. 

56. It will be seen that more than one drawing is required 
to indicate properly all the points that it is necessary to know 
before a feature such as the front steps can be constructed. 
In examining other features all the drawings that show parts 
of these features should be studied so as to obtain all possible 
knowledge regarding them. 

57. The Vestibule. — The First-Floor Plan shows the 
vestibule projecting in front of the building. In the front 
wall of the vestibule is the main entrance door, which is a 
single door and marked 3' 4"X7' O", which is the size of the 
door. The South Elevation shows this door in elevation. 
On each side of this door is a small window, which is called 
a side light. A corresponding window over the top of the 
door is known as a transom, or, if the window is stationary, as 
a head light. On each side of the front wall of the vestibule 
the plan shows two projecting rectangles with faint lines 
around them. On the South Elevation these rectangles prove 
to be pilasters, and the faint lines are the bases of the pilasters. 

The East and the West Elevations show the side eleva- 
tions of the projecting parts of the vestibule. The pilasters 
and side windows are shown corresponding to those on the 
plan. 

In this plan, a stone sill is shown under the door opening. 
A tile floor extending over the entire vestibule is indicated 
by the squares and the notation Tile Floor. The indica- 
tions, or squares, are shown over only a part of this floor, as 
is customary, but it is obviously unnecessary to show any 
more than is indicated in the plan. 

The Transverse Section gives valuable information regard- 
ing the construction and the support of this part of the build- 
ing. It shows that the front wall of the vestibule is supported 
on the wall b, and a corresponding wall is shown under the 
inner wall of the vestibule. These walls are indicated on the 
Basement Plan, the wall b in the section being marked i in 
the Basement Plan. This section further shows a concrete 



24 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

slab resting on these two walls and supporting the tile floor. 
It also shows a paneled treatment of the walls, indicated at /, 
and a cornice at the top of the wall. A double beam is indi- 
cated which supports the portion of the front wall that extends 
across the ceiling of the vestibule. The construction of the 
roof and cornice of the vestibule is also indicated. 

In the plan, a marble saddle is shown under the inner door 
of the vestibule. This door is called a vestibule door, and 
beside the dimensions on it appear the letters Gl., indicating 
that a glass panel is to be placed in the door. The letters IV. 
indicate that there is a transom over the door. 

58. The foregoing articles illustrate the method of analyz- 
ing a portion of a plan. Such analysis includes the finding 
of parts of the other drawings that may present the part 
under consideration from other points of view, and thus 
obtaining all possible information. A careful study and com- 
parison of the accompanying blueprint drawings in the man- 
ner just shown will result in the ability to handle a set of 
plans so as to get all there is out of them. 

59. The entrance steps and the vestibule would not be 
erected from the blueprints of this set, but large-scale studies 
and drawings would be made, as well as full-size details of 
the caps, bases, moldings, etc., from which these features 
would be constructed. There is, nevertheless, sufficient 
information given in the prints to enable an experienced 
contractor to give an accurate estimate of the cost. 

60. The Hall. — Between the hall and the dining room 
is a pair of sliding doors, indicated in the manner described 
in Reading Architects' Blueprints, Part 1. The indication of 
the sliding doors on the First-Floor Plan shows that the size 
of each door is 2' 3"X7' 0". The section line A-B passes 
through this sliding door and turns at the middle of the dining 
room so as to be parallel with these doors. Consequently, 
on the Transverse Section on the line A-B, the opening for 
the sliding door will be seen in part, as at k. The actual 
doors are, however, not shown. 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 25 

61. The finish of the dining room is also indicated at / 
in the Transverse Section. The doorway has a pilaster on 
each side of it and a cornice over it, forming a trim. This 
cornice extends all around the room. The walls are paneled 
and wainscoted. It is not stated on the drawing what mate- 
rial is used in this decoration, since decoration as elaborate 
as that shown is often done under a different contract from 
that for the main part of the building. If the decoration is 
to be included in the contract for erecting the building, the 
treatment of the dining room should be carefully described 
in the specifications. Detail drawings should also be made 
at a large scale, so as to show the intentions of the architect 
more clearly. 

62. In the hall, opposite the sliding doors, as shown in 
the First-Floor Plan, is the entrance to the living room. This 
is not a doorway, but is an opening as indicated. A column 
is seen at each side in this opening. The heavy circle indi- 
cates the column, the larger circle shows the base molding, 
and the square represents the square part of the base. Back 
of each column is a pilaster, with a similar base. These also 
appear in elevation in the Transverse Section, and an orna- 
mented cornice is shown above these columns and pilasters. 
This cornice extends around the hall, except over the stairs, 
and makes a rich and impressive effect. This feature must 
be carefully shown in detail drawings, from which it will be 
constructed. 

63. Main Stairs. — The main stairs are shown at k in 
the First-Floor Plan. The subject of reading plans with 
reference to the stairs has been carefully discussed, and the 
indications shown on this plan should be familiar. 

A toilet room is shown under the stairs, and this suggests 
the question of headroom beneath the stairs. By counting 
the number of risers it will be seen that the wall of this toilet 
room is under the tenth riser. These risers being 7i inches 
in height, the distance from the floor to the top of the tenth 
riser will be 75 inches, or 6 feet 3 inches. If from this a height 
of 18 inches is deducted for the construction of the stairs, it 



2Q 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§6 



will be found that the headroom at this wall is 57 inches, or 
4 feet 9 inches, which is sufficient at this point in this toilet 
room. 

The height of the door opening that can be obtained for this 
room can be calculated. Though all the risers are not shown 
on the plan, measurement will show that the edge of the door 
opening opposite the hinge is under the twelfth riser. Twelve 

risers at 7i inches 
each give a height 
of 7 feet 6 inches 
from the floor to 
the top of the riser. 
Allowance of 18 
inches for the con- 
struction of the 
stairs leaves 6 feet 
clear headroom, 
which is sufficient. 
An elevation of the 
main stairs appears 
at i in the Longi- 
tudinal Section. 

64. In the toilet 
room beneath the 
main stairs, a cor- 
ner wash basin is in- 
dicated. The win- 
dow, which is also 
indicated should have a high sill so that it will be above the top 
of the wash basin. The water closet, on account of the lim- 
ited headroom, is of the low-down tank type, as is indicated. 
This type of fixture is shown in Fig. 11, in which the tank is 
shown at a, the pipe for flushing at b, the water-supply pipe 
at c, and the lever for starting the flushing at d. 

65. Closets. — Opening into the hall, as shown on this 
plan, is a closet for hats, coats, umbrellas, and other things. 
A shelf is shown by a hne and also is marked. The letter 5 




§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 

on the jamb of the door indicates a switch that is operated 
by the closing or opening of the door. When the door is 
opened, the Hght is turned on in the closet. The walls of the 
closet are made thin by placing the studding flatwise in the 
partitions. This can be done where the partitions are not 
very long and are well braced, as they are around this closet. 
Flatwise studs occur in other parts of the building also. 

An indication for a telephone is shown to the right of the 
coat-closet door. This position will permit placing a suitable 
table or stand to receive the apparatus. 

A small closet, marked Brooms, is "worked in" back of the 
coat closet, making a very convenient place for receiving 
brooms, pails, carpet sweepers, and many of the utensils 
needed in house cleaning. 

A closet is provided in the dining room for purposes con- 
nected with that room. 

66. Rear Porcli. — Back of the hall is shown a rear 
porch, which has a tile floor, as noted by the words Tile Floor 
and the squares which extend over a part of this floor. As 
has been pointed out, it is unnecessary to indicate tile over 
the entire surface. A flight of concrete, or cement, steps 
leads down from this porch to the garden level. The win- 
dows shown on the west side of this porch are sliding win- 
dows. On the east wall of this porch is a high window, shown 
by dotted lines. 

67. Living Room. — The indications given in the living 
room will next be examined. The entrance opening from the 
hall has been discussed. The south wall is indicated as a 
frame wall, in which two double-hung windows are shown. 
The openings to the side porch are shown as French win- 
dows, which are indicated in the manner described in the 
previous Section. The French windows are shown on the 
West Elevation. Stone sills are shown both in the plan and 
the elevation. These windows will be built from scale and 
full-size details that will be furnished as the work of building 
progresses. The windows in the bay on the north side of the 
room are plain double-hung windows. These may also be 

274—8 



i READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

seen in the North Elevation. Book cases are indicated at h 
in the plan. They are indicated merely in outline and would 
be built from scale and full-size details. If they are to be 
included in the same contract as the rest of the house, the 
scale details should be made and given to the contractor with 
the rest of the blueprints, to be estimated on. 

68. Fireplaces. — There are two fireplaces shown, one 
in the living room and one in the side porch. The body of 
the chimney is shown hatched in one direction and the brick 
facings of the fireplaces and chimney breast are shown hatched 
in the other direction. This latter hatching shows that the 
face of the chimney on the porch is treated with a special 
brick. The hearths within the fireplaces are shown with 
brick laid on edge with a simple pattern. This may be made 
of firebrick. The hearth in front of the living-room fire- 
place is of fancy tile, shown in squares and marked Tile 
hearth. At the backs of these fireplaces are shown small 
rectangles with diagonal lines. These indicate small cast-iron 
doors opening into ash chutes. The section line C-D shows 
that a section through these fireplaces has been made, and 
this will be found in the Longitudinal Section. The ash 
chutes are plainly shown on this section and lead down to a 
chamber, or ash-pit, formed in the base of the chimney. The 
Basement Plan shows this ash-pit with a clean-out door in 
front of it, through which the ashes are removed. 

The double line around the outside of the tile hearth rep- 
resents a strip of hard wood that is fitted tightly against the 
hearth, and nailed to the floor. The circles filled in solid 
indicate outlets for fuel gas. In the south end of this chim- 
ney is seen a flue with double lines around it. These lines 
indicate that the flue has a terra-cotta lining. The Base- 
ment Plan shows that this flue is for the steam boiler for heat- 
ing the building, and that the boiler and the flue are connected 
by a galvanized-iron smoke pipe. 

In the Second-Floor Plan the three flues are seen side by 
side in the chimney and built symmetrically with reference 
to the axis of the living room. All these flues are shown lined. 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 29 

69. Various Features. — In the First-Floor Plan, a seat 
is shown built into the bay window at the north side of the 
living room. This seat is designed to cover a radiator, and 
is hinged so that it can be raised. Grilles are indicated in 
the front of the seat and are shown at m in the Longitudinal 
Section. By raising the seat the radiator can be reached and 
controlled. 

70. In the front of the living room the First-Floor Plan 
shows a floor register at q. 

There are two electric-light outlets in the ceiling, with 
the capacity of four lights each. Two side lights are indi- 
cated on the fireplace. The exact location of these lights will 
be determined by the design of the mantel. Four base out- 
lets are provided so that floor lamps can be used at various 
parts of the room if desired. 

The framing of the floor joists is indicated at various places 
by a line with arrows at the ends and the notation 2"y.l0" 
Floor Joists 16" c-c. 

71. Dining Room. — ^The dining room as it appears on 
the plan is a room almost square with all of its sides designed 
to be symmetrical. Thus the sliding door opening to the 
hall is centered on the left side of the room. The doors to 
the closet and to the pantry are placed at equal distances 
each side of the center of the room. The same is true of the 
doors and windows to the breakfast porch and the windows 
in the front wall. 

The indications of floor registers at p and the light outlets 
are familiar and explain themselves. 

The section lines A-B and C-D through the room call 
attention to the fact that parts of the room are shown on 
two sections. In the Transverse Section is seen the door 
trim of the sliding doors, and the wall paneling. In the 
Longitudinal Section is seen one complete side of the room, 
showing the doors to the closet and to the pantry, and the 
paneling of the wall in between, as well as an ornamented 
plaster or wood cornice around the room. A picture mold, 
or molding, is also indicated. The details of these features 



30 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

of interior treatment will be constructed from drawings made 
at a larger scale and from full-size drawings. 

72. Breakfast Porcli.— The First-Floor Plan alone will 
tell the experienced architect a great deal about the break- 
fast porch, but an inspection of the South, East, and North 
Elevations will give an excellent idea of its external design, 
and will make clear the indications in the plan. The section 
of the porch shown on the Longitudinal Section will give 
further information. All these drawings having been exam- 
ined, it will be seen that the outside of the walls are decorated 
with pilasters, and that sections through these pilasters are 
shown in the plan. 

The windows are casement windows opening outwards, 
some being double casements and others single. 

Double doors are indicated leading to the outside steps, 
which are dotted for concrete. These doors show on the 
North Elevation, and the steps are seen below them. 

The tile floor and the baseboard outlets on the floor of the 
breakfast porch are indicated in the usual manner. Flower 
boxes are shown under two of the window groups. 

73. Pantry. — A double-swinging door connects the 
dining room and the pantry. The essentials of the pantry 
are dressers, counter shelf, and sink. The sink is indicated 
on the north wall of the pantry. The dressers on the west 
and south walls consist of shelves enclosed by glazed doors 
for the upper part, a counter shelf extending under this, and 
enclosed drawers or cupboards beneath the counter shelf. 
The section line A-B extends through the pantry; therefore, 
on the Transverse Section an elevation of part of this dresser 
is shown as well as a cross-section. A cross-section of the 
sink is also shown. By carefully studying the plan and the 
section together, an excellent idea of the general design of 
this dresser may be obtained. In Fig. 12 is shown a large- 
scale detail of this pantry, in which the various parts have 
been drawn in larger size, and from which the contractor 
builds these dressers. This detail will be discussed more par- 
ticularly later on, but it will be very instructive to compare it 




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§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 31 

diligently with the plan and section at the quarter-inch scale, 
as shown on the blueprint. 

74. Kitchen. — In the First-Floor Plan another double- 
swinging door is shown leading from the pantry to the kitchen. 
A kitchen sink is indicated, close to which is shown a 4-inch 
soil pipe into which the sink wastes. An electric outlet is 
shown, by which the sink is lighted. Double-hung windows 
with a mvdlion a' provide an abundance of light for the kitchen 
and especially for the sink. A dresser is indicated, which will 
be like the dresser in the pantry in arrangement and con- 
struction. 

A cement hearth is indicated, also a combination gas and 
coal range with a hood or canopy over it. The range may 
or may not be included in the contract. 

75. A circle t containing the expression 60 gal. indicates 
a hot- water boiler of 60 gallons capacity. A circle with 
radiating lines, marked F, indicates an outlet for fuel gas 
for the range. 

A chimney is shown built of brick, and a brick wall extends 
behind the range as a means of fire protection. The chimney 
contains two lined flues and one unlined flue. The broken 
line that extends through the unlined flue represents the smoke 
pipe from the range to the lined flue marked K. The open- 
ing into the unlined flue from the range side is an opening 
that is above the stove pipe and under the hood. This open- 
ing exhausts the smoke and odors from cooking from under 
the hood, and is covered by a grille. A line marked Reg. 
indicates a similar vent opening from the kitchen into the 
same flue. 

76. In the west wall of the kitchen, two high windows are 
indicated by the dotted lines. These will be seen in eleva- 
tion at i in the Transverse Section. An annunciator with 
eight points is shown, also a door bell and a three-way 
switch. This switch turns on and off the electric light at 
the top of the service stairs from the kitchen, and a corre- 
sponding switch at the head of the stairs may be used for 



32 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

operating the light from that position. Similar switches are 
indicated at each end of each flight of stairs. 

77. Kitchen Closet. — In the closet off the kitchen, the 
shelves on the left side are indicated by lines and the word 
shelves. The number of shelves should be specified. The 
refrigerator is indicated on the right side of this closet, and 
it will be purchased from the manufacturer and set in place. 
The refrigerator will have to be selected before the exact 
location of the ice door can be determined and the ice door 
will be fitted in the wall to supply the refrigerator. Addi- 
tional shelves or even a simple cupboard can be installed 
above the refrigerator if desired. 

By means of a glass panel placed in the door to the kitchen, 
a certain amount of borrowed light will enter the kitchen at 
this point. This will add to the cheerfulness of the room. 

78. Service Porch. — The service porch is placed so as 
to shelter the kitchen door. Five square posts are shown 
and railings between them. The design of the posts and rail- 
ings can be seen on the North and the East Elevations, and 
a section through the porch appears on the Transverse Sec- 
tion. In this section, at o, the floor of this porch is shown 
lower than the floor of the kitchen. This floor is directly 
over a part of the laundry ceiling and is waterproofed so as 
to prevent water leaking through and spoiling the ceiling. 
This can be done by placing one or two layers of waterproof 
paper beneath the flooring, and sloping the floor away from 
the kitchen, so as to shed water rapidly. 

The ceiling of the porch is under part of the floor of the 
room in the second story. This will cause this floor to be 
cold in cold weather unless it is insulated by some substance 
such as mineral wool, as shown in this section. In order to 
hold this mineral wool in place, a rough board floor is cut in 
between the joists and rests on cleats which are nailed to the 
sides of the joists. 

The ice door p is shown in this section, but, as has been 
pointed out, will not be finally located until the dimensions 
of the refrigerator have been obtained. 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 33 

79. A flight of steps leads from the service-porch floor 
to the ground level. A hand rail is shown on each side of the 
steps and is secured to the posts of the porch. These steps 
are shown on three of the elevations and in the Transverse 
Section. All of these drawings should be studied in con- 
junction with the plan to gain all the information possible. 

80. Service Stairs. — The service stairs extend from the 
basement floor to the attic floor, or through three stories. 
The flight from the basement to the first floor ends at the 
pantry, as shown at / in the First-Floor Plan. The door at 
the top of this flight is a 2' 6"X7' 0" door and is provided 
with a glass panel which will furnish light to the stairs. 
Another flight starts from the kitchen and is entered through 
a door having a glass panel. This flight, however, is well 
lighted from the window in the second-story hall. The 
electric outlets are placed at the tops of the flights in all 
stories so as to furnish light on the stairs at night time. A 
handrail is shown at the side of each flight. 

81. The flights leading from the first floor to the base- 
ment and to the second floor are shown in elevation at / 
and k by broken lines in the Longitudinal Section. By 
drawing the stairs in elevation, the headroom between them 
can be seen and measured and errors avoided. Measured 
from the top of any riser in the lower flight to the top of the 
riser above it in the upper flight, the distance will be found 
to be 8 feet 6 inches. If an allowance of 18 inches is made 
for the constiniction of the upper flight, the remainder will be 
7 feet, which is sufficient headroom. 

At I in the Longitudinal Section is shown the elevation 
of the flight from the second floor to the third floor. On the 
East Elevation will be seen elevations of the service stairs 
extending from a to /. 

82. Tlie Side Porch.. — The features on the side porch 
that are characteristic are the columns. The location of these 
columns is shown in general on the plans, but will be better 
understood by referring to the South, West, and North Ele- 



34 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

vations, and to the Longitudinal Section. The West Eleva- 
tion shows the effect that is desired in this porch. The cor- 
nice and the balustrade are of exactly the same design as 
those of the breakfast porch. It will be noted that the 
square parts of the column bases are made of cement or 
concrete. 

A fireplace has been provided to be used when the porch 
is enclosed. It is intended that a set of removable glazed 
panels be placed between the columns in cold weather, and 
removed in summer. This porch will thus serve as a sun 
room in winter and as an open porch in summer. 

The Longitudinal Section shows a cut through this porch, 
and the construction of the floor and steps can be seen. This 
concrete construction will be reinforced by some standard 
mesh, and all tied together with rods, especially at the junc- 
tion of the floors and walls. The construction of the roof, 
cornice, etc., is also roughly indicated, and the actual 
construction will be in accordance with scale and full-size 
details. 

83. Areas. — While areas are shown in connection with 
the basement windows, and consequently on the Basement 
Plan, they also appear in the First-Floor Plan, where the tops 
of the area walls are shown. Four of the areas appear in 
front of the south wall in this plan. An area under the pantry 
window is shown covered by a grating, to prevent a person 
descending the steps from the breakfast porch from acci- 
dentally falling into the area. Gratings are sometimes placed 
over all areas to prevent accidents. 

An area containing steps to the basement is situated at the 
rear of the building, and, as shown in the First-Floor Plan, 
there is a pipe railing on the top of the outer wall to guard 
against accidents. The steps are made of concrete and sur- 
faced with rich cement m^ortar. As shown on the Basement 
Plan, the walls of all the areas are made of concrete. 

84. Section Lines. — Section lines A-B and C-D, 
shown on the floor plans, indicate that sections have been 
drawn on these lines. These sections have been drawn to 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 35 

show what would appear to a person looking in the direction 
indicated by the arrows at the ends of the lines. Thus, on 
the section on the line C-D, called the Longitudinal Section, 
will be seen the building as it would appear if all the parts 
in front of the line C-D were removed. The use of such 
sections has been pointed out in the study of the First-Floor 
Plan. The section lines are taken through parts of the build- 
ing that require further illustration, and need not be exactly 
over one another in the various plans. 

85. Dimerislons. — The subject of dimensions was dis- 
cussed in Reading Architects^ Blueprints, Part 1, and it will 
be a very useful exercise to study carefully the dimensions 
given on the blueprints. The various lines of dimensions 
in any one direction should be added to see if the totals 
agree. 

86. Indications of Construction. — The indications 
of construction shown on the First-Floor Plan are those 
referring to the size, spacing, and direction of the joists. 
The Basement Plan shows girders that support the first-floor 
joists and the partitions on each side of the hall. On the 
Longitudinal Section these girders appear as three beams 
bolted or spiked together, with cleats on the sides of the gir- 
ders to support the joists. The girders are supported on 
5-inch pipe columns, which, as shown in the Basement Plan, 
are supported on concrete footings 2 feet square and 12 inches 
thick. In the Longitudinal Section, a section is shown through 
the header at the living-room hearth at d, and bridging 
between the floor joists is indicated at e. 

87. A framing plan, which gives the arrangement of the 
joists and girders in the first floor, will be shown further on. 
The chimneys should be built from larger-scale details. 

88. In the foregoing study of the First-Floor Plan it has 
been found necessary to refer to several of the other draw- 
ings in order to understand clearly the indications on the 
First-Floor Plan. This serves to illustrate the dependence 



36 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

of one drawing on the other, and also the method of referring 
to the various prints to obtain information supplementary to 
that given on any one plan. 



SECOND-FLOOR PLAN 

89. General Description. — The indications on the 
Second-Floor Plan are in many respects similar to those 
shown on the First-Floor Plan. The indications for the out- 
side walls, for the partitions, the double-hung windows, the 
doors, the lights, and the floor construction are just the same 
as for like features on the First-Floor Plan. Dimensions are 
also indicated in the same manner. The new features that 
are conspicuous in the Second-Floor Plan are the bathrooms. 

90. Rooms on the Second Floor. — The second floor is 
generally devoted to the sleeping accommodations for the 
family and guests. The bedrooms are marked on this plan 
by numbers 1,2, and 3. A servant's bedroom is also shown 
on this floor and is marked 1 , this number indicating that there 
are one or more additional servant's bedrooms elsewhere on 
these plans. 

There are two bathrooms for the family and one for the 
servants, and closets connected with all the bedrooms. A 
sleeping porch is also provided at the rear of the main hall. 

91. Bedrooms. — The requirements for a bedroom are: 
Proper space for the bed, the bureau or dresser, and one or 
two chairs. There should be a suitable closet for clothing, 
and there should also be access to a bathroom, without the 
necessity of passing through another bedroom or living room. 

92. Bedroom No. 1 is reached through a vestibule. 
Between the vestibule and the bedroom is an arched open- 
ing, as indicated by the broken lines at d. A small closet e 
is built in the corner of this room to make the bay-window 
effect on the north side, and so that the windows will be 
symmetrical with the bay. Another closet / with two shelves, 
is shown on the south side of this room. Two lighting out- 



SLCOND ' FLOOih ^ PLAN 

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§6 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



37 



lets are indicated on the south wall. They are located so 
that a bureau can be placed between them. The best space 
for the bed is against the right wall. An electric outlet is 
placed conveniently for a table which can be placed at the 
head of the bed. Another base outlet is provided at the left 
side of the bay for a floor lamp that can be used for reading. 
Similar arrangements are shown in bedroom No. 2 and in 
bedroom No. 3. Bedroom No. 3 is the owner's room, and 
is provided with a private bathroom and two closets. 

93. The servant's bedroom No. 1 has a closet in which a 
window is shown. While marked on the plan as a servant's 
room, it may be found convenient at times to use this room 
for members of the family or guests. 




94. Bathrooms. — The owner's bathroom contains a 
bathtub built against two walls. The small ring represents a 
spray, and the large circle the ring to hold the rubber cur- 
tain. A basin is shown with a medicine closet over it, and a 
water closet with a low-down tank is indicated. A bathtub 
installed in the manner indicated is shown in Fig. 13, and in 



38 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§6 



Fig. 14 are shown a shower, a basin, and a water closet of the 
kinds indicated on the plan. 

The floor and wainscoting are to be of tile, as indicated by 
the notation on the floor. The closet opening from this bath- 
room will be convenient for linen and bathroom supplies. 
The door to this closet has a glass mirror in front of a wood 




panel. This is seen in the Transverse Section, which shows 
a section through the bathroom. 



95. The bathroom opening on the hall is similar to the 
owner's bathroom, and a view of this is given in the Trans- 
verse Section. This view shows the basin over which is a 
medicine closet with a mirror in the door. A pipe, marked 
Ji-" Yent, is shown in connection with each of the bathrooms, 
and these pipes are placed as close to the water closet as 
the framing of the building will permit. 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



39 



96. In the accompanying Fig. 14 is shown a general view 
of a typical bathroom in which a water closet with a low- 
down tank a is used. At 6 is a bathtub, with the supply and 
waste pipes at c. At d is the rubber ring that supports the 
rubber curtain /. Inside this ring is a shower that sprays the 
water over the bather standing in the tub. At ^ is a rubber 
tube with a spray on the end through which water can be 
sprayed. At g are mixing valves which regulate the amount 
of hot or cold water that is to be sent through the sprays. 
At /i is a basin of the integral, or one-piece, type. At i is a 
mirror, and at / a glass shelf for holding toilet appliances. 
A soap dish is shown at k, and a towel rack at /. At m is a box 
to hold toilet paper, at w a stool, and at o a mirror set into the 
door. This arrangement represents a complete bathroom 
similar in most respects to those indicated in the building 
shown in the blueprints. 

97. An interesting feature in connection with the con- 
struction of the tile floor is illustrated at q in the Transverse 
Section. In Fig. 15, which is a section through the floor con- 

Is ^ 




Fig. is 

struction, the joists a are shown cut down and pointed so as 
to separate the concrete b as little as possible. Cleats c are 
nailed to each side of the joists, and boards d are laid on the 
cleats. Upon the boards the concrete b is poured and on this 
is laid and leveled a bed of rich cement mortar e on which 
the tile / are laid. 

98. In the servant's bathroom a water closet having a 
high tank is indicated. Such a fixture is illustrated in Fig. 16. 
In this figure the water-closet bowl is shown at a, the high 



40 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§6 




■ if^- \ 



Fig. 16 



tank at b, the flushing 
pipe at c, the water 
supply at d, and a 
chain pull at e. 

99. Sleeping: 
Porch. — The sleep- 
ing porch is enclosed 
on two sides b}^ win- 
dows. The group of 
windows on the west 
side consists of sliding 
sash and the one on the 
north side consists of 
a casement window with 
fixed sash on either 
side. 

100. The roofs of 

the front porch, side 
porch, and the breakfast 
porch are seen on this 
plan. These roofs show 
gutters around the outer 
edges and railings with 
newels inside the gut- 
ters. The slanting lines 
represent the changes in 
direction of the roofs, 
the roof areas all sloping 
so as to bring the eaves 
level all around. The 
roofs are covered with 
sheet metal, which 
should be carried up on 
the sides of the newels 
so as to make a rain- 
proof joint. 



> bAS^MELKT ^ PLAK 

Showing fooTj;MCrvr 




I L T S3H, 448 BB239, 307SB 267, 217SB 274, 1842B 



^=^ 




READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 41 



BASEMENT PLAN 

101. General Description. — The Basement Plan is 
very important, as it shows the part of the building that is 
built first. It should be very carefully marked with the 
dimensions. If these dimensions are not correct the build- 
ing above will not fit the foundations and may have to be 
changed in the drawing and execution. This plan should 
have overall dimensions on it, such as 44' 0" for the front 
and 43' 0" for the side. These overall dimensions make it 
easy to lay out the building on the ground. 

102. Walls and Partitions. — The walls shown in this 
plan have a very different appearance from those in the First- 
Floor Plan. They are more substantial, thicker, and marked 
with the indication for concrete. In general they are 12 inches 
in thickness. The broken lines 6 inches each side of the walls 
indicate the footings. These footings are shown clearly in 
the Transverse Section. Some of the walls that have lighter 
loads do not require footings if the soil has a good support- 
ing value. Consequently the walls of the steps and porches 
have no footings indicated. The same is true of the walls of 
the areas. As a matter of economy, the walls of these parts 
are not carried down so deep as the main walls, as it is only 
necessary to carry them down below the point to which frost 
reaches. 

Thus, on the South Elevation, the depths to which the dif- 
ferent walls are carried are shown by broken lines. The 
foundation walls of the front steps b and the areas are car- 
ried down only to the depth of 3 feet 6 inches; this distance 
being below the level to which frost penetrates in most 
climates. The walls of the side porch and of the breakfast 
porch are carried down to the same level. 

The walls of the main part of the building, however, are 
carried down so that the tops of the footings are from 4 feet 
to 6 feet below the finished top of the cellar floor, as at a in 
the South Elevation. 

A careful study of the elevations in conjunction with the 



42 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

Basement Plan is strongly recommended, and will result in a 
clear understanding of the plan. 

103. In the Basement Plan a brick foundation wall is 
shown for the kitchen chimney. The brickwork of this 
chimney will show in the laundry, although this brickwork 
may be plastered if desired. A footing is shown by broken 
lines under this chimney and will be formed of concrete. 

Concrete footings are indicated under the 5-inch pipe 
columns that support the girders upon which the first-floor 
joists rest. 

104. Partitions. — The partitions shown in the base- 
ment, around the drying room, laundry, hall, and closets, 
are 4 inches in thickness, and are built with the studs set 
flatwise, and may be covered with plaster or wood on each 
side. The partition on the west side of the vegetable cellar 
is of studding with boarding on the left-hand side. The par- 
titions around and separating the coal cellars are also of 
studding boarded on one side. 

The coal bins are fitted with doors that are shown on the 
Longitudinal Section to be batten doors. The doors in the 
plastered partitions are paneled doors. 

105. Floors. — The floors of the basement, with the 
exception of the laundry, hall, and closet floors, are of cement 
finish on a concrete base. The floors of the laundry and hall 
are of wood which is secured to beveled sleepers as shown in 
the Transverse Section. 

106. Laundry. — A laundry stove is indicated with the 
stove pipe running into the flue. This flue is shown lined. 
The space e, which forms the flues above the basement, is 
left hollow to save brickwork. The stove would not be fur- 
nished by the contractor, however, unless so stated in the 
contract or specifications. 

A set of three laundry tubs, or trays, is shown upon an 
elevated slat floor. These tubs will be similar to the set of 
tubs shown in Fig. 17. 



6 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



42 



A sink is indicated by dotted lines, and into this is drained 
the water from the melting ice in the refrigerator. 

A fuel-gas outlet is shown on the north wall, which is to 
supply a gas iron or a stove to heat irons. A second fuel- 
gas outlet is shown near the chimney to supply a gas stove 
or iron heater, or possibly a hot-water heater. 

A cast-iron clean-out door is indicated in the chimney at 
the bottom of the laundry flue, by the letters C. 0. Door. 
By opening this door, the flue can be reached for cleaning 
when necessary. 



, ll'lnli. I'l"''''"" "■'■!''' 




Fig. 17 

107. A toilet for the use of the servants is provided in 
the basement, and contains a low-down tank water closet, 
such as shown in Fig. 11, and a corner wash bowl. 

108. Area steps are shown leading from the grade to the 
basement. These steps are formed of cement-finished con- 
crete. In the middle of the slab in front of the entrance door 
is a drain which is designed to carry away any water that 
might otherwise collect at the bottom of the steps. A door 
sill and step prevent water from washing in on the basement 
floor in case this drain should overflow. A drain is shown 
in front of the boiler and is intended to take away any water 
that might otherwise gather on the cellar floor. 

109. Drying Room. — The drying room is a convenient 
place in which to dry clothes in damp or rainy weather. This 

274—9 



44 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§6 



room is shown in the Longitudinal and the Transverse Sec- 
tions and is finished with plain walls. 

110. Vegetable Cellar. — The vegetable cellar is a place 
to store vegetables, preserves, canned goods, and other food- 
stuffs. The dark closet 
connected with it can also 
be used for preserves that 
might be injured by the 
action of light. The fronts 
of the preserve closets or 
shelves are shown in the 
Longitudinal Section. Wire- 
mesh doors are shown which 
can be locked. The dark 
closet can also be locked if 
desired. The drying room, 
vegetable cellar, and the 
dark closet are provided 
with electric-light outlets. 

111. Pipe Columns. 

The pipe columns are 
iron or steel pipes provided 
with suitable caps and 
bases. The pipes are some- 
times filled with concrete, 
which makes the columns 
stronger than they would 
be if not filled. 

A standard concrete- 
filled pipe column is shown 
in Fig. 18. It consists of a 
steel shell a filled with 
concrete b. A cap c and a base d of cast iron are fitted to 
the shell and are designed to support the load on the top 
and to spread the load on the footing. A 5-inch concrete- 
filled column such as is shown will support about 20 tons 
weight. 




THH^D'CATTio)vf LOOJ^^PLA-N 




I L T 53H. 448 BB239, 3075B 267, 217SB 274, 1842B 




/ 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 45 

112. Boiler. — A boiler for heating the house is shown 
and marked. A pipe connecting it with the chimney is also 
indicated. This boiler would in most cases be supplied by 
the general contractor, although sometimes provided by a 
separate contractor. 

Two coal bins are indicated, one for boiler coal and one 
for coal for the kitchen range, the laundry stove, etc. Open- 
ings to the coal bins are also shown, and in the Longitudinal 
Section is shown a batten door at n for one of these openings. 
The space marked Boiler Room is convenient for the storage 
of fire wood, also as space for ash cans, etc. 



THIRD-FLOOR PLAN 

113. General Description. — The plan of the third 
floor differs very much in appearance from the plans of the 
other floors. The fact that there is only one room in this 
entire floor would suggest that space has been wasted. An 
inspection of the Transverse Section, however, will show that 
the roof is so close to the floor that there would not be suf- 
ficient height for a man to stand over a great part of the floor. 
Most of the space is therefore of little use except for trunk 
space, closets, etc. 

The requirements of the owner call for only one bedroom on 
this floor, and this is the servant's bedroom No. 2. In addi- 
tion to this room, there is space for a trunk room and for a 
cedar closet, the latter being lined with cedar wood, as a pro- 
tection against moths, for the preservation and storage of 
furs, blankets, and spare clothing. There is space enough 
under the middle part of the roof for the accommodations 
shown on the plan. 

114. Another peculiarity of this plan is that a plan of the 
roof has been combined with it. The eaves, hips, valleys, 
and ridges are shown. The parts of the roof below the plane 
at which the plan is shown are drawn in solid lines. The 
parts of the roof that are above this plane are in broken lines. 
As the plan is shown at a plane about 4 feet above the floor. 



46 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § « 

the roof below this plane would naturally appear on the plan. 
The parts of the roof that are shown by the broken lines would 
not appear, however, and they are therefore drawn in broken 
lines, which indicate the construction above. It would not be 
economical to show the roof on a special plan for the sake of 
showing these few broken lines, consequently they are included 
in this plan. 

115. Eaves and Gutters. — This plan may be consid- 
ered first as a roof plan. The three lines shown all around the 
outer edge of the plan show the gutter into which the roof 
drains. At certain points goosenecks a are shown by broken 
lines leading to the rain conductors. The bottom of the gutter 
is sloped downwards toward these goosenecks. The highest 
points in the gutter are marked High Point, and the arrows 
in the gutters show the direction in which the water flows. 
The diagonal lines at the projecting corners indicate the hip 
rafters b, which meet at the ridge c. A ridge terminating in 
the north gable is shown at d. The diagonal lines e indicate 
valleys. 

The broken line marked Face of Wall Below represents 
the outer face of the wall of the second story. The outside 
face of the studs is 2^ inches inside this line, and the dimen-^ 
sions on the plan are taken from the stud line, in the same 
manner as in the first- and second-floor plans. 

116. Flat Roof, or Deck. — A flat roof, or deck, is shown 
to the north of the bedroom. The sloping lines on this roof 
represent valleys caused by changes in the slope of the roof. 
These valleys guide the water to the sump, which is a shallow 
box, seen in the North Elevation. From the sump the water 
runs out through a hole in the parapet, called a scupper, onto 
the roof and thence into the gutter. A parapet wall extends 
around two sides of the deck and is covered with sheet metal. 
The tops of these parapets merge into the sloping roof. These 
parapets are visible in the North and West Elevations. 

' 117. Another flat deck occurs over the servant's bed- 
room No. 2 and is indicated by the rectangle f g and the 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 47 

diagonals shown in broken lines over the bedroom. Neither 
this deck, nor the one just described, are visible from the 
ground. As they are practically flat they must be covered 
by tight roofs, and properly drained by means of leaders, as 
shown on this drawing. 

118. Roofs of Dormer Windows. — The roofs of the 
dormer windows are shown in dotted lines entirely, as the 
plan is taken on a plane passing through the windows below 
the roof. The projection of the roof of the north gable is 
shown by dotted line h. 

119. Walls and Partitions. — The outside walls of the 
bedroom on the north side are stud walls covered with plaster, 
or stucco, similar to the main walls of the building. In this 
wall are indicated three double-hung windows. 

Around the dormer windows also are exterior walls, the 
front walls being occupied by windows, and the side walls 
covered with shingles. This treatment will be seen in the 
Transverse Section. Between the dormers, at i in this plan, 
a single line is shown which represents a wall that is plas- 
tered on the inside only. Similar lines are shown enclosing 
the cedar room, the closet of the bedroom, and the trunk 
room. All these lines indicate the plaster face of partitions 
that are plastered on one side only. An examination of the 
sections will show the details of these partitions. 

120. Thin partitions are indicated around three sides of 
the bedroom, and on one side of the trunk room and cedar 
room. These partitions are formed by placing the studding 
flatwise and plastering on both sides. 

The walls at the backs of the cedar room, closet, and trunk 
room, as at / and k, are only about 4 feet 6 inches high, as 
will be seen in the sections. This is a sufficient height for the 
purposes for which these spaces are used. The full ceiling 
height extends over about one-half of these areas, so that 
there is sufficient headroom to permit people to enter them. 

121. Stairs. — The service stairs reach the third floor, 
as shown, by fourteen risers. These stairs are lighted by 



48 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

direct light from the front dormer window. At night time 
a light at the head of the stairs is useful and can be operated 
by a three-way switch. By the use of this switch the light 
can be turned on at the second floor and turned off after the 
servant has reached the third floor, and vice versa. 

A hand rail is shown by the double line at the right side of 
the stairs. 

122. Dimensions. — It is not necessary to show many 
dimensions in this plan. The dormers are located so as to be 
symmetrical with the main axis of the south elevation. The 
distance of the face of the dormer from the front wall is also 
marked. 

The rear wall of the bedroom is located with reference to 
the main walls of the second story, and the bay should be 
placed at the central transverse axis of the building, so as to 
be symmetrical with respect to the ridge, as seen in the north 
elevation. 

The walls, or partitions, enclosing the stairs are built so 
that the faces against the stairs are the same as those in the 
partitions below in the second story. 

The partitions on one side, as at / and k, can be located 
with sufficient accuracy by scaling off or measuring with a 
rule. 

The chimneys will be carried up directly over the chimneys 
shown in the Second-Floor Plan. 



SOUTH ELEVATION 

123. Elevations. — The purpose of the elevations is to 
show the sizes, arrangement, and relation to each other of the 
features of the exterior of the building. Elevations show the 
doors, windows, walls, roofs, porches, and chimneys, also 
the levels of the floors, and the finished level of the ground 
at the building; they also give the heights of the various 
stories, sizes of window openings, etc. 

124. Walls. — ^The walls of the building are shown as 
plain surfaces marked with dots over part of the surface. 



SOUTH ^ ELEVATJO/f 

Scale 

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§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 49 

This indicates a stucco finish, which should also be described 
in the specifications. A similar stucco finish is indicated 
on the chimneys. 

In the south elevation, a water-table m is shown extending 
across the elevation, and is dotted to indicate that it is 
stuccoed. Certain portions of this water-table, as at the side 
porch and the breakfast porch, are of solid concrete. The 
indications for stucco and concrete are similar. The wall 
below this water-table is similar in appearance to the wall 
above, but in this case it is a concrete wall below the water- 
table, as indicated by the notation on the wall. In a case 
like this, the specifications should be consulted to ascertain 
the character of the walls of the house. The plans should 
also be examined, and it will be seen that the Basement Plan 
shows a concrete wall, and the First- and the Second-Floor 
Plans indicate a frame wall. A frame wall in the plan, dotted 
in the elevation, shows clearly that this wall is stuccoed. 
The specifications will verify this conclusion. 

In the elevations the walls below the grade line are indi- 
cated by broken lines. The walls supporting the porches, 
and the area walls, are started below the frost line, or about 
3 feet 6 inches below the finished grade, and the walls of the 
building itself are carried down below the basement floor 
and are supported on footings lettered a in the South Eleva- 
tion. These footings extend 6 inches each side of the wall 
and are 12 inches in thickness. 

125. Windows. — ^The windows in the first story are 
typical double-hung windows with shutters. The sash open- 
ing is marked 5. 0. on one of the windows, and the other win- 
dows are marked Do., or ditto, to indicate that the same 
notation applies to them all. The horizontal dimension cf 
the sash opening is shown as 3' 6" and the vertical dimen- 
sion 5' 9" . The upper sash is shown divided into six lights, 
while the lower sash is in one light. The shutters are made 
with solid panels, a small crescent-shaped opening being made 
in the upper part of each. 

The windows in the second story are also double-hung, and 



50 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

have blinds with movable slats instead of shutters. The win- 
dow over the entrance porch is not so high as the others as it 
is in a bath room. The size of the sash opening is given for 
these windows in the same manner as for those in the first 
story. 

The windows in the dormers are double-hung windows, and 
the size of the sash opening is given. The basement windows 
are single-sash windows. The parts of the building above the 
ground level, or grade, are shown by solid lines and the parts 
below are in broken lines. 

A double-casement window n is shown in elevation. The 
First-Floor Plan shows that this window opens outwards, 
and that the windows on each side also swing outwards. 

126. Porclies. — The entrance porch, as was noted in 
the discussion of the plans, is decorated with pilasters, cornice, 
and railings. The breakfast porch is treated in the same man- 
ner, while the side porch differs only in having columns instead 
of pilasters. These decorative features are generally shown 
at a larger size in scale details and in full-size details, from 
which they are constructed. 

The entrance porch contains the entrance door /, which 
is surrounded on three sides with sash forming side lights and 
head lights, or transoms. This feature is also built from 
scale details and full-size details. 

127. Roof. — The roof g is marked Shingle Roof and the 
horizontal lines indicate shingles. The hips are finished in 
what is known as "Boston hip" fashion. The hips of the 
dormers are finished similarly. A slate roof would be indi- 
cated in the same manner as a shingle roof, but would be 
marked Slate Roof. At the eaves are shown the gutter o, 
and two rain conductors marked 3"X^" R. C. The water 
runs from the gutter through goosenecks p into the con- 
ductor head q. The conductor is held to the building by 
means of straps r. A view of a gooseneck and a conductor 
is given in Fig. 19. Smaller rain conductors are shown on 
each side of the entrance porch, and these lead off the water 
from the roof of that porch. 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



51 



128. v'^liiinneys. — The chimneys are shown as they 
come up through the roof from the second floor. At the place 
where they meet the roof sheet metal is indicated by ver- 
tical lines. This metal, called flashing, is built into the 
joints of the brickwork, which accounts for its appearance 
of being in steps, or stepped-up. Behind the chimney e, at h, 




is a cricket, or small gable roof, that 
throws the water off to each side of 
the chimney. This cricket is covered 
with sheet metal, and is so indicated. 
The projecting bands at the tops 
of the chimneys are formed of cement. 
The top or cap of the chimney should 
be cast solid in concrete, to protect* 
the chimney from rain and frost. 
This is done by placing wooden forms 
on top of the chimney and pouring 
the concrete in the forms. 



129. Dimertsions. — The principal dimensions shown on 
elevations are the story heights, as shown at the left-hand 
side of the South Elevation. The levels of all the floors are 
shown by a dot and dash line, and the distances between 
them are marked. 

The next important dimensions are the heights of the win- 
dow sills, above the floors. These are given in the line of 
dimensions through the left-hand windows. The distances of 



52 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

the sash openings above the floors, the heights of window 
openings and the distances between the tops of the window 
openings and the floor above are marked. The height of the 
ceihng of the attic is also shown and its distance above the 
third-floor line is given. 



WEST ELEVATION 

130. Principal Features. — From the explanations that 
have already been given of the South Elevation and the other 
drawings, the indications on the West Elevation will be easily- 
understood. 

The main feature of the West Elevation is the elevation of 
the living-room wing. As was noted while considering the 
First-Floor Plan, this elevation of this wing is symmetrical 
with reference to an axis line through the middle of the chim- 
ney, or through the living room. 

The walls are shown as in the South Elevation, also the 
stucco finish of the chimneys. The foundations of all the 
porches and steps are shown at the proper depths. The 
footings of the main walls of the building are properly shown. 
The steps are shown in broken lines, as they are back of the 
cheeks. 

131. Chimney. — An elevation of the fireplace in the side 
porch is given, and the indications show that the fireplace 
will be faced with some fancy or ornamental brickwork. The 
flues, which are shown by means of broken lines, are brought 
over so as to be symmetrical with the axis of the wing to 
permit the chimney itself to be made symmetrical. 

132. "Windows. — The windows of the living room are 
French windows, that give access from the living room to the 
side porch. The windows over them in the second floor are 
typical double-hung windows, and the sash openings are 
properly marked. 

Sliding windows a and b are shown on the rear porch and 
on the sleeping porch above, while single, hinged sash appear 
in the wall of the basement. 



'WEST ' ELfLVATlon - 

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I L T S3H, 448 BB239, 307SB 267, 2175B 274, 18421 



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I L TS3H 448 BB239. 3075B, 267. 217SB, 274, 1842B 



§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 53 

133. Roof. — The roof is shown as a shingle roof with 
Boston hips. The gutter and the brackets under the eaves 
are indicated. In this elevation the goosenecks are shown 
extending from the conductor to the gutter, in graceful 
curves. 

The parapet around the fiat roof above the sleeping porch 
is also shown and the roof behind the parapet is indicated by 
a broken line. A cricket, seen at h in the South Elevation, 
is shown behind the chimney in this elevation by broken 
lines. The object of this cricket is to throw the water to each 
side of the chimney, and to prevent the formation of a pocket 
that would collect rain and snow. 

In the West Elevation, the dormers are shown in side ele- 
vation, and are shingled on the sides in the same manner as 
the roof. 

The roof of the side porch is what is called a fiat roof, 
although it has a slight pitch; it is covered with sheet metal, 
probably tin, which is painted to protect it from the weather. 
The roof over the sleeping porch is also flat and likewise cov- 
ered with tin. The roof c over the bedroom on the third 
floor is treated in the same manner. 

The roof of the side porch is drained by a gutter which 
leads to the conductors shown on each side of the living-room 
wing. 

134. DimerLslorLS. — The necessary dimensions showing 
the story heights and the locations of the windows with refer- 
ence to the floors are given at the left side of this elevation. 



BAST ELEVATION 

135. General Features. — The East Elevation presents 
very little that has not already been discussed in the study of 
the South and the West Elevations. The walls, foimdations, 
chimneys, and windows, are indicated in the same m.anner 
as those already described. A mullion window is shown in 
the kitchen. This mullion window consists of two double- 
hung windows having a common weight box between them. 



54 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

The sills of the kitchen windows are kept higher than usual 
in order to be above the drain board of the sink; and the pantry 
windows are, for the sake of appearance, kept at the same 
height. Single-sash casements are shown in the basement 
under the kitchen window, while a double-hung window is 
shown under the pantry window. This window is in the 
drying room. 

Side views of the front steps and of the steps from the 
breakfast room are shown. 

136. Service Porch. — The square posts supporting the 
building over the service porch are clearly shown in this eleva- 
tion, together with the rails and balusters between them. A 
lattice is shown which screens the porch from view, and may 
be used to support a vine. A flight of steps is shown with 
rails, balusters, and newels, also a lattice of slats beneath. 
A pier supporting these steps is shown in dotted lines and will 
be seen in plan at / in the Basement Plan. 

137. Stairs. — An indication of the service stairs is shown 
in the East Elevation, where the entire series from basement 
to attic is shown, starting at a and ending at/. 

138. Breakfast Porcli. — 'On the front and side of the 
breakfast porch flower boxes are indicated under the windows. 
These boxes are shown supported on brackets. All this work 
will be executed from scale and full-size drawings that will 
be prepared by the architect later on. 

On the sheet with the East Elevation is shown a section 
taken through the front, or south, wall of the building. This 
section is shown for the purpose of giving a general idea of the 
construction, as well as to show the relation of the floor levels 
to the window openings. This relation is shown by the ver- 
tical line of dimensions at the left of the section. 

The construction of the sill, the plate, the cornice, and the 
dormer window is given with sufficient clearness to permit 
of estimates being made. The actual construction will fol- 
low large-scale and full-size details, which will be furnished 
by the architect as required. 



-MORIH ^ ELELVATION ^ 

S cale 

I'I'I I I I I I I I I I I I I 

3 6 9 12 




I L T 53H. 448 BB239, 3075B 267, 2175B 274, 1842B 



/-j^° rLooR . cc/Lwa- 




§6 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



55 



NORTH ELEVATION 

139. General Features. — 'The North Elevation, which 
is the rear elevation, while it may be considered of the least 
importance, is in some respects the most interesting of all. 
It has a greater variety of indications than any of the other 
elevations: The walls and chimneys are indicated in the 
same manner as on the other elevations. The side porch is 
shown in the same manner as on the South Elevation. The 
breakfast porch shows the entrance doors and steps. The 
service porch shows the elevation of the steps. The rear 
porch also shows the steps in elevation. At the right the 
cheek slopes parallel to the steps, while on the left the cheek is 
, , , brought out square, to receive 

^Miii MiititliilP^'i^'^ r'^ " the pipe railing which serves 

as a guard against persons 
falling into the basement area. 




Fig. 20 Fig. 21 

140. Windows and Doors. — The windows in the living- 
room bay and in the bedroom No. 1, are double-hung win- 
dows. The window below, in the basement, is a single-sash 
window. On either side of this window are cast-iron coal 
chutes. Fig. 20, consisting of a cast-iron chute and a door. 
The door may have a light of wire glass in it if desired, as 
shown in Fig. 21. This door is provided with a chain by 
which it can be held shut from the inside. 



56 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 6 

The windows in the kitchen wing are double-hung in the 
upper floors and single-sash windows in the basement. 

The center windows in the sleeping porch are casements 
with fixed sash at each side. The doors to the kitchen and the 
basement entry have glass panels in the upper parts, with 
wood panels below. The door to the basement is shown by 
broken lines, as the door is behind the stoop. 

141. Dormers. — The dormer in the attic bedroom is 
shown with its three double-hung windows. The sides and 
the sloping roof are covered with shingles while the flat roof 
on top is covered with tin. 

All the other indications are the same as already described, 
although this elevation should be carefully studied. 

142. Gable. — A gable is shown over the kitchen wing. 
The face of the gable being vertical, it is treated in the same 
manner as the other outside walls. The lower slope of the 
roof is, however, carried across to carry out the design. 

A barge board and moldings are shown running up the 
inclined edges of the gable. A small window is placed in this 
gable to give light in the attic space over this wing of the 
house. 

143. Steps. — The steps to the basement from the grade, 
or ground level, are shown in this elevation by broken lines, 
and pipe rails are indicated at b. All the outside steps except 
those to the service porch are built of concrete, which is pro- 
vided with reinforcement as would be shown in details that 
are generally furnished by the architect after the working 
drawings are completed. 



TRANSVERSE SECTION 

144. General Features. — The Transverse Section, 
which is taken on the line A-B of all the floor plans, has been 
referred to from time to time in connection with the drawings 
already discussed; and the indications which appear on it 
have been described with their relation to the corresponding 
indications on the other drawings in the set. 



TRA/^'SYflRSf: ^ SECTION o'' ^.^^ A-5 - 





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I'I'I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 





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§ 6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 57 

The Transverse Section shows the building as it would 
appear if the part in front of the line A-B were removed. 
The line A-B on each floor plan is taken so as to pass through 
the features of which it is desired to show the construction 
and appearance. For this reason, examination of the sec- 
tion lines A-B and C-D on the plans of the different floors 
will show that the sections indicated are not in all cases 
directly one above another. Therefore, it is advisable to 
compare carefully the courses of the section lines on the dif- 
ferent plans and to take notice of the construction shown for 
each floor in the Longitudinal and the Transverse Sections. 



LONGITUDINAL SECTION 

145. The Longitudinal Section differs from the Trans- 
verse Section in the fact that it is taken lengthwise of th© 
building. It shows the parts that would be seen by a per- 
son looking from the front toward the rear of the building, 
as they would appear if the parts in front of the line C-D 
were removed. This section should be carefully studied and 
compared with the parts of the floor plans which it shows. 



READING ARCHITECTS' 
BLUEPRINTS 

(PART 3) 

Serial 1842C Edition 1 

INDICATIONS USED IN DRAWINGS 

(Continued) 



FRAMING PLANS AND ELEVATIONS 

1. The drawings such as shown in the blueprints that 
accompanied Reading Architects' Blueprints, Part 1, and 
which have been described in detail in Parts 1 and 2, are the 
ones usually furnished by the architect as the general working 
drawings of the building. They do not, however, supply all 
the information required for construction purposes, and it is 
necessary that the architect furnish scale and full-size details 
to explain more fully many of the ideas indicated on the 
quarter-inch-scale drawings. 

One feature that is seldom shown in the form of drawings 
is the arrangement of the joists in the floors or the studs in 
the elevations. Framing drawings are seldom given for such 
work, all the timber construction usually being left to the 
judgment and experience of the building foreman. Unless 
there are special features or difficult problems in connection 
with the work, this arrangement is usually satisfactory. 

Because, however, a knowledge of how floors and walls 
are framed will be a help in understanding plans in general, 
there will now be given drawings showing the framing of 
the first floor and the south wall of the building shown in 
the blueprints described in the preceding Sections. 

COPYRIGHTED BY INTERNATIONAL TEXTBOOK COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVES 

§7 



2 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

These drawings, shown on the accompanying plates entitled 
Framing Plan of First Floor, and Front-Elevation Framing, 
are at a scale of ^ inch=l foot, though they are usually made 
at a scale of i inch = 1 foot as indicated by the legend on each. 

3. Framing Plan of First Floor. — In making such a 
drawing as the Framing Plan of First Floor, the parts of 
the building that support the. frame, such as concrete founda- 
tion walls, pipe columns, and the chimneys, are first drawn 
in thin, or faint, lines. Next are shown all the openings 
between the basement and the first floor, such as those for 
stairs, chimneys, flues, floor registers, hearths of fireplaces, 
etc. When all these openings are drawn the framing around 
them is laid out. 

It will be seen that on each side of the living-room fire- 
place the joists are doubled, forming trimmers c. If these 
have a bearing on a chimney, the chimney must be so arranged 
that the ends of the trimmers will be distant not less than 
8 inches from any flue or fireplace, in order to avoid danger 
from flame and heat. 

A header i is supported on the trimmers by means of bridle 
irons, or iron joist hangers /. The header is indicated by two 
heavy lines which represent two 2-inch joists. The light 
lines on the sides of this header indicate cleats for supporting 
the joists k and the trimmer arch that extends from the 
chimney to the header i. The other ends of the trimmers 
rest on a similar cleat that is spiked to the girder h, or they 
may be supported by bridle irons or joist hangers attached 
to the girder h. Small openings, such as those for heat flues, 
do not require the joists to be doubled around them, but are 
framed as shown at /. 

The girders h, consisting of three 3''X10'' timbers, are 
shown by three heavy lines. The two thin lines on the sides 
indicate cleats upon which the joists rest The locations of 
the columns that support these girders, also of the column 
caps, are shown by dotted lines. On the header m are indi- 
cated hangers which support the 2'''X6'' joists of the service 
porch. 



FRAMIKG PMl\r V FIRST FLOOR, - 

Scale 




I L T 448 BB274 1842C 



n 



-2-2x4 S/LL 




Note: All Joists to be 
2"x/0" I6"C-C 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BJLUEPRINTS 3 

When partitions resting on this floor run in the same 
direction as the joists, double joists should be placed under 
the partitions, as at g. 

After the joists mentioned are placed in their special posi- 
tions, the spaces between them are filled in with single joists, 
as shown by the single black lines. These joists are spaced 
16 inches apart on centers, and lines of cross-bridging are 
put in place as indicated by the broken lines in the plan. Joists 
should be placed close against the outer wall studs where the 
walls are parallel to the joists. When the walls are at right 
angles to the joists, the joists should extend past the studs 
to the inner face of the sheathing in the walls and should 
be spiked to the sides of the studs. 

3. Front-Elevation Framing. — The framing of the 
south wall is shown in the plate entitled Front-Elevation 
Framing. In beginning the framing, the corner posts a at 
each end are laid out and set on the sills h. The studs are 
spaced evenly across the entire front at distances of 16 inches 
on centers, their upper ends reaching up to the plate g. The 
studs are then cut out to accommodate the window frames, 
and the openings thus made are framed around with double 
studs as shown at d. 

To support the wall over the vestibule, a header, or girder e, 
consisting of two 2''X10'' timbers, is located as shown; also 
a header / consisting of two 2''X6'' timbers is placed over the 
front-door opening in the vestibule. 

The rafters, as shown, are spaced 24 inches on centers, 
and the dormer openings are placed so that it is necessary 
to cut only one rafter. The rafters are doubled on each side 
of the dormers, however. 

The lookouts that support the eaves are placed as shown 
by the profiles at each end of the plate. The framing of the 
side porch and breakfast porch is also as shown. It will be 
profitable to study these framing plans in connection with 
the blueprints. 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 1 



DETAILS 

4. As has already been mentioned, besides the quarter- 
inch-scale blueprints of the plans and elevations, the architect 
will furnish larger-scale or full-size drawings, or details, 
for many of the parts of the building which, because of their 
size, form, or construction, cannot be plainly shown on the 
quarter-inch-scale drawings. 

A selection of such details will now be considered and 
their indications explained. These details are generally given 
to the contractor in the form of blueprints, the original trac- 
ings being kept in the architect's office so that additional prints 
can be made at any time they are required. Some of these 
details will be here shown in the form of blueprints. 



CELLAR OR BASEMENT "W^INDOW 

5. In Fig. 1 is shown a blueprint of a typical detail of 
a cellar window. At the left, the window and nearby parts 
are shown in elevation, with a portion broken out of the 
middle as indicated by the two irregular lines, and on the right 
are shown sections taken at the places indicated by the lines 
A- A, B-B, and C-C. 

To make plain the construction indicated in the details, 
Fig. 2 is given, which shows in perspective how the different 
parts would look if they were actually cut at the points where 
the sections are taken. 

G. Fig. 1 is drawn at a scale of 1^'Xl'O'', or at one- 
eighth the actual size of the construction. In the study of 
this detail, it will be good practice to measure off the various 
parts by use of an ordinary rule such as carpenters use. Then, 
since the detail shows the parts at one-eighth their actual size, 
each ^ inch on the rule represents 1 inch on the detail. Thus, 
the sill marked 4''X6'' on the detail will be found to meas- 
ure "I inch X I inch. 

At V and 2 two portions of the drawing are shown at a 
scale of 2>"=V(y', or one-fourth full size, in order to make 




Fig. 2 



6 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

clear the shape of certain parts of the detail that cannot be 
seen plainly at the smaller scale. In this case, each ^ inch 
on the rule represents 1 inch on the detail, 

7. The first impression received by a person looking at 
Fig. 1 is that the drawing is broken up into parts. In details 
drawn at large scale, only such parts are drawn as are neces- 
sary to show the construction to be used and those adjacent 
parts that come into immediate contact with the part that is 
being specially detailed. 

In Fig. 1, for instance, the part of the window shown in 
the elevation on the left is sufficient to illustrate the entire 
window, and it is not necessary to show the whole pane of 
glass. Likewise, in the sections A-A, B-B, and C-C, the glass 
is cut off by broken lines close to the sash. This method 
results in less work for the draftsman, makes the drawing 
more compact and easily handled, and saves paper. The 
principle is applicable to all details and is commonly used. 

8. The section A-A is taken through the head of the 
window ; and since the lintel of the basement window is formed 
by the water-table, it is customary to show the construction of 
this water-table in connection with the detail of the window 
head. 

The sill of the building is indicated to be of timber by the 
diagonal lines, and one of the first-floor joists is shown rest- 
ing upon it. The joist is shown notched down so that its lower 
surface is 2 inches below the top of the sill. Since the joists 
are 2"X10" in size, their tops will be 8 inches above the top 
of the sill. This can be verified by measuring with the rule. 

Resting on top of the sill is a 4-inch stud o. The top edge 
of the joist is shown extending to the sheathing n on the far 
side of the stud, as is indicated by the broken line p. 

The sheathing n is nailed to the studs and to the sill, and the 
furring m is secured to the sheathing. Upon the furring the 
lath is stretched to hold the stucco /. The water-table, which 
is formed of plaster or stucco, is blocked out so that it projects 
1^ inches beyond the face of the wall as shown. The under 
side of the water-table forms the bottom of the window Hntel ; 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 7 

the stucco is forced in over the top of the window frame, and 
the molding r is nailed close up against the plaster to make 
a tight joint. 

The plaster ceiling of the basement is shown on the under 
side of the joists. 

The cellar window frame is of wood, as indicated by free- 
hand hatching. The head of the frame is shown at s, the 
staff bead or molding at r, the sash at u, and the inside trim, 
or architrave, at t. 

9. The section B-B is taken through the jamb, or side of 
the frame, and, the window being a casement window, the con- 
struction of the jamb is essentially the same as that of the 
head. The wooden strip y may be placed in the form and the 
wall cast around it. Then the frame, when it is afterwards 
set in the wall, can be nailed to the strip and will be held 
securely in place. If, however, the frame is set in position 
before the wall is poured, the strip is nailed to the side of the 
frame and the concrete when cast against the frame encloses 
the strip. In either case the frame is held securely to the 
wall and the strip forms an air stop. 

At V is shown an enlarged detail of the molding of the sash 
rail. 

10. The section C-C is taken through the sill, and the 
finish of the wall beneath the sill is shown. The masonry 
sill is formed of concrete and is 6 inches above the area floor, 
as indicated by the dimension. The wood sill is made of 
2-inch material, but in the process of making its actual thick- 
ness is reduced at least \ inch. The wood is set at a slope to 
shed water, and has a rabbet formed in it corresponding with 
a rabbet in the bottom of the sash, as is shown at a larger scale 
at z. The curved raised part of the sill at z is devised to pre- 
vent rain from being blown through the joint. 

The concrete wall inside the window sill is splayed so as 
not to hold dust and not to intercept light. 

A groove is ploughed in the bottom of the sill and the 
concrete will work up into this groove when it is poured, and 
thus form an air-stop. 



8 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

Concrete and plaster are indicated similarly in elevation, 
but it should be easy to determine from the general construc- 
tion which material would be used. 

The broken slanting line extending from the head to the 
sill indicates the swing of the sash, and that it is hinged at 
the top. 



DOUBLE-HTJNG WINDOW IN A WOODEN WALI. 

11. In Fig. 3 is shown a detail of a double-hung window 
in an ordinary frame building covered with plaster, or stucco. 
This drawing is shown in the figure at one-sixth its actual 
size, or at a scale of 2"=1'0". It will therefore not be con- 
venient to measure for this drawing unless the rule used has 
inches subdivided into 12 parts. These measurements can 
however be taken with an architect's scale, by using the 1-inch 
scale, in which 1 inch equals 1 foot, and calling the dimen- 
sions one-half of what they read at that scale. 

This drawing is similar to the detail of the cellar window, 
in that it shows parts of the exterior elevation of the window, 
and three sections. In addition to these features, however, it 
shows parts of the interior elevation. In the study of this 
detail, it will be found helpful to refer also to Fig. 4, which 
shows in perspective the sections and parts of the same win- 
dow represented in Fig. 3, and, with one or two exceptions, has 
the parts lettered the same. 

12. In the section through the head, the double 2''X4'' 
timbers across the top of the frame, which constitute a header, 
are shown by rectangles d, the fact that they are of wood being 
indicated by the diagonal lines. Vertical studs rest on this 
header, and the sheathing e is nailed to them. On the inside 
of the studs are the lathing and plastering /. On the inside 
of the header is a wooden strip g, called a ground, which 
serves to regulate the thickness of the plaster and furnishes 
a support to which the inside trim is nailed. 

On the outside of the sheathing, at the top, is shown fur- 
ring h, to which plastering or stucco is applied. The metal 
lath is indicated by the S-shaped lines in the plaster, which 



FRONT ELEVATION FRAMING 



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READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 




is represented by dots. 
The plastering is car- 
ried around the block- 
ing /, against the outside 
casing k of the window 
frame. The staff bead.„ 
or blind stile a, is nailed 
in the corner. At I is 
the head of the window 
frame. The piece m is 
the parting strip that 
keeps the sash apart at 
a fixed distance. At n 
is the upper sash, which 
slides down. At o is 
the upper rail of the 
blind; at p, the stop 
bead which keeps the 
inner sash in place. 
The inside trim, or ar- 
chitrave, is shown at q, 
and at r are seen ad- 
justing screws which 
hold the stop bead to 
the head and sides of 
the frame, but at the 
same time permit the 
stop bead to be ad- 
justed. 

13. m the section 
through the meeting 
rails is shown the bot- 
tom of the outer sash, 
and the top of the 
inner sash, as they meet 
when the window is 
closed. 



10 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

14. The section through the jamb is very similar to that 
through the head, except for the weight box, which is formed 
by keeping the double studs d back from the pulley stile /, so 
that sash weights s may be accommodated. These sash weights 
are indicated by the white circles. The small rectangle between 
the weights represents a pendulum strip which is hung from 
the top of the box, and is intended to keep the weights from 
striking each other as they move up and down inside the box. 
The weights are used to counterbalance the sash, and they 
move up and down as the sash are moved in the opposite 
direction. 

15. The section through the sill has several features not 
shown in the other sections. The bottom rail t of the inner 
sash is shown resting on the sill u, which is set at a slant so 
as to shed water. The sill rests on the subsill c, which extends 
out in front of the plastered face of the wall, and has a mold x 
beneath it. The appearance of this sill in elevation is shown 
in the exterior elevation of the window. 

Inside the window, the stool y rests on the sill, and beneath 
the stool is the apron z, with bed molds at its upper and lower 
edges. The appearance of this feature is shown on the interior 
elevation. It will be noted that the stool and apron are 
returned against the interior plaster. This is shown in the 
section through the jamb, where the letter / is placed. It is 
also shown on the interior elevation. 



MAIIV CORNICE 

16. In Fig. 5 is a blueprint of a simple form of a pro- 
jecting cornice, or eaves. This detail consists of a section 
through the cornice, and a partial elevation. 

The wall, as shown at a, is of the same construction as that 
shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and consists of studs, sheathing, 
furring, outside stucco, and inside plastering. A l''X5" 
ledger board is shown supporting 2^X10''' attic joists. On 
top of these joists is the 4''X4" plate, made up of two 2''X4" 
pieces, and indicated by diagonal lines as timber. The sheath- 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 11 

ing and the other wooden parts are hatched to indicate fin- 
ishing lumber. The plaster is dotted, and the sheet metal of the 
gutter is marked by vertical lines. A ^" thick anchor which 
holds the rafters in position is shown by broken lines. 

At b and c is shown blocking to which the fascia d and the 
two bed moldings are secured. The lookouts e are of the 
thickness and spacing described on the drawing, and for sup- 
port are extended into the building and spiked to the rafters. 
The blocking c is cut in between these lookouts. The lookouts 
can also be spiked to the sheathing or plate if desired. 

On top of the lookouts are nailed matched and V'd ceiling 
boards. The tongues and grooves show plainly in this detail, 
as do the slightly beveled edges which form the Vs. 

At / is a small fascia, nailed to the ends of the lookouts, 
and against this the gutter rests. This gutter is a plain half- 
round gutter formed of sheet metal. The lower part is curved, 
and the upper part extends up under the shingles as shown by 
the heavy white line. A metal strap g holds the outer edge of 
the gutter firmly in place and is nailed to the roof under the 
shingles. The shingles are shown with a double row at the 
bottom of the slope h. 

At i is indicated the wood lathing and the plastering with 
which the interior walls and the ceiling are covered. 



KITCHEN DRESSER 

17. In Fig. 6 is given a detail of a kitchen dresser; this 
drawing consists of an elevation, a plan, a side elevation, and 
a section. There are also given a series of larger-scale sec- 
tions through various parts of the dresser, to show its con- 
struction. 

The elevation shows, in its lower part on the left, two large 
drawers and two small ones. At the right, a cupboard or 
pot closet Math a single shelf is shown. Over this part is a 
shelf, called a counter shelf, extending back to the wall. 
This will be seen very clearly in the side elevation and in the 
sections. Above the counter shelf is a closet with shelves and 
glazed doors in front of thetn. 




12 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 13 

The section A- A shows a slice through the dresser on the 
line A-A in the elevation. 

18. The details at the scale of l|=rO", or one-eighth 
actual size, can be measured by using the rule and calling 
each eighth of an inch one inch. Each section is marked 
with letters corresponding to those on the elevation, which 
indicate where the section is taken. The indications are for 
dressed lumber, and the construction is that customarily used. 

Careful study of these sections, and comparison of them 
with the various parts of the drawing, will give a good under- 
standing of the methods commonly employed in representing 
such work so that a workman skilled in his trade will be able 
to construct the object shown. 



PLANS OF A SCHOOL BUILDING 

19. General Explanation. — ^A masonry building will 
now be considered. This building is a six-room schoolhouse 
having foundations of concrete, exterior walls of brick, and 
trimmings of stone and terra cotta. The roof is covered with 
slate, and the gutters, hips, ridges and cupola are covered with 
sheet metal, either copper or galvanized iron. 

On the first floor are three class rooms, and on the second 
floor three more class rooms and a room for the principal. 
In the basement are two play rooms, two toilets, and space 
for the heating and ventilating apparatus. There are also the 
entrances, halls, corridors, and stairs that are necessary for 
access to the various rooms. 

The class rooms are the principal features in this building, 
and they occupy the larger parts of the first and second floors. 

20. The design of a school building presents special prob- 
lems. A large number of pupils must be taken care of in 
the class and play rooms. These rooms should therefore be 
provided with sufficient heat and fresh air. There should be 
sufficient light coming in over the left shoulders of the pupils 
as they sit at their desks. Entrances and exits should be 



14 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

planned for convenience. The safety of the scholars should 
be assured by providing large, wide corridors and ample exits. 
The doors should all open outward so that the exits cannot 
be blocked by the doors being closed. 

21. Every school building should be built so as to comply 
with state and local laws, which vary in different localities. 
In the preparation of the plans shown herewith, all these 
matters have been considered, and the plans would be accept- 
able to most authorities, and satisfactory for the erection of 
a good schoolhouse. 

22. Drawings. — The drawings shown are the Basement 
Plan, the First-Floor and the Second-Floor Plans ; the Front, 
and the Side Elevations, also a number of details, as Figs. 12 
and 13, A set of drawings such as this is sufficient for a con- 
tractor to estimate from. Additional details, both scale and 
full size, would be made as the work progressed. The details 
here given show features that are peculiar to school buildings 
of the character shown. In many respects the drawings are 
like those described in Reading Architects' Blueprints, Part 2. 



FIRST-FLOOR PLAN 

23. The First-Floor Plan will now be considered. In 
studying parts of any drawing, the other drawings that show 
these parts, either in elevation, section, or plan, should be con- 
sulted so that all information given regarding these parts may 
be obtained. 

24. Main Entrance. — The main approach to the building 
is up a flight of eleven steps, leading to a large platform. 
These steps and the platform are dotted and marked Stone 
Steps. The steps have stone cheeks which can be seen in the 
Side Elevation. These cheeks support metal newels and hand 
rails. The cheek walls are themselves supported on founda- 
tion walls which extend into the ground 3 or 4 feet so as to 
be below the influence of frost. These foundation walls are 
shown in the Basement Plan. Between the foundation of the 



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§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 15 

cheeks are two walls that support the steps in between the 
cheeks. 

In the First-Floor Plan, on the platform, are indications of 
columns. These are marked T. C, which signifies terra cotta. 
These columns rest upon square bases. Against the wall back 
of the columns are pilasters and quoins. This work is indi- 
cated by thick lines which are approximately the thickness of 
the terra cotta. The sections here are too small to contain 
the proper indications for terra cotta as shown in Reading 
Architects' Blueprints, Part 1, but the fact that these features 
are marked T. C. leaves no doubt as to their nature. 

25. The doors at the entrance are double and swing out- 
wards. Beneath them is a stone sill, forming a step from 
the platform to the vestibule floor. This sill is shown dotted. 
A brass saddle covers the joint between the stone sill and the 
wooden floor. 

On either side of the doors, sidelights aje indicated in the 
plan. The Front Elevation shows them to contain single 
sheets, or lights, of glass which are about of the same height 
as the glass in the doors. The indication TR., on the plan, 
shows that there is a transom over this door. This appears 
in the Front Elevation. Over the platform is an ornamental 
canopy which is formed of terra cotta and is supported on the 
columns and pilasters. A side view of this canopy, the 
columns, and pilasters, is given in the Side Elevation. A 
lantern of wrought iron supported upon wrought-iron brackets 
is shown on the Front Elevation. This lantern is equipped 
with electric lights, and the indication on the First-Floor Plan 
shows outlets for four lights. 

26. Vestibule. — The vestibule shown on the First-Floor 
Plan is divided into two parts by a short flight of stairs, three 
risers being shown. These stairs have hand rails against the 
walls on each side. On the wall on the left side is shown a 
notation indicating that a tablet of iron or bronze will be 
placed there. This tablet may contain the name of the school, 
the names of the building committee, the architect, and the 
contractor, as well as the date when the building was erected. 



16 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



§T 



Just inside the door is an indication of three switches. One 
of these controls the light in the lantern over the porch, another 
controls two lights in the vestibule, and the third controls 
one light in the corridor. Thus a person entering at night 
may turn on the lights in the corridor which will enable him 
to see the panel board, where he can turn on additional lights 
as required. 

A notation on the floor of the vestibule gives the informa- 
tion that 2"X14" yellow pine joists 16 inches on centers are 
used in the larger portion of the vestibule, and 2"X12'' joists. 




(a) 




in the smaller portion. This implies that the flooring will be 
of wood in both portions. 

From the vestibule, a pair of doors leads to the corridor. 
These doors have a side light on each side, and are indicated 
as double-swinging and glazed. A transom is indicated that: 
will probably extend over both the doors and the side lights. 
These doors, as well as the front doors, would be constructed 
from scale and full-size details. The partitions on each side 
of the vestibule are indicated as stud partitions plastered on 
both sides. 

Other indications in the vestibule are two ceiling outlets 
for four lamps each, one base outlet for two lights, and two 
radiators. 



§7 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



17 



27. Corridor. — The corridor connects the vestibule with 
the stair halls. It also contains the entrance doors to the 
three class rooms and the wardrobes. All the doors to these 
rooms open outwards into the corridor so as not to interfere 
with the pupils coming out in case of fire or panic. The indi- 
cations at these doors are GL. for glass panels, and TR. for 
transoms. 

28. A panel board is indicated in the corridor. This 
board holds all the switches that control the lights in the first- 
story rooms. In Fig. 7 is an illustration of a panel board 
of the safety type that would be used in this position. The 
switches are operated by push buttons. 

There are practically two doors, both 
of which are shown open in (a), 
where the fuses and the push buttons 
are visible. In (&) the door that 
covers the fuses is closed, leaving only 
the push buttons exposed. Both doors 
may be locked to prevent tampering 
with the switches. 

29. A standpipe is indicated in 
the corridor and consists of a vertical 
water pipe, as a, Fig. 8, to which is 
attached a hose h with a nozzle. The 
standpipe connects with the public 
water supply or with a tank of water 

on the roof. In case of a fire the hose is pulled off the rack 
and the valve c is turned. The water is then forced through 
the hose. 

30. Opposite the entrance to the corridor is a double 
circle which indicates a drinking fountain. This fixture is 
specified and the style and make mentioned in the specifica- 
tions. A drinking fountain is illustrated in Fig. 9. This foun- 
tain is of the bubbling type. At a is the pipe through which 
water is supplied. This pipe runs up through the waste pipe h, 
and the water bubbles out through the opening at c. The 




18 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



bowl d which catches the water as it falls is made of porcelain. 
The bowl e is made of enameled iron, as is also the standard /. 
Valves to regulate the flow of the water are shown at g and h. 
Fountains of this type provide a sanitary method of supplying 
drinking water to the pupils. 

31. A large floor register is indicated in the corridor. 
Such a register, on which pupils can stand, is especially valuable 
in a school building, as pupils often arrive at school chilled 
or with wet clothing or feet, and the register furnishes means 




for quickly drying and warming them so as to avoid danger 
of sickness. 

32. Fireproof Stairways. — At each end of the corridor 
are fireproof stair halls. The walls between the stair halls 
and the rooms, as well as the outside walls, are of brick and 
are 12 inches thick. A pair of doors open from the corridor 



§ r READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 19 

to each stair hall. These doors together with the side lights 
and transoms are indicated as kalamine, or metal-covered, 
with polished wire-glass panels. These doors open outwards 
from the corridor into the stair halls. Beneath these doors are 
placed iron saddles, under which the wooden floors of the 
corridors and the cement floors of the stair halls meet. The 
stairs are of cement, or concrete, as is also the floor of the 
stair hall. In order to prevent slipping, the stairs have special 
treads and nosings. One type of such, shown in Fig. 10, con- 
sists of a casting having grooves of the form shown, some of 
which are filled with a patented non-slipping preparation. 
The landings at the ends of the flights leading to the base- 
ment are of concrete construction. These landings are below 
the level of the first 
floor, and just one 
step above the grade 
level. A pupil enter- 
ing the building will 
have to ascend one- 
half of a story to 
reach the first floor, 
and descend one-half 
a story to reach the 
basement. Hand rails 
are shown on each side of the stairs, the small squares at 
the tops of the runs or flights indicating newels. 

33. The stair halls are lighted by windows on each floor, 
and by the glass panels in the doors that lead to the play- 
grounds. There are also combination lighting outlets indi- 
cated, for two electric lamps and two gas jets, so that when 
the building is occupied at night there will always be light in 
the halls. 

The risers are indicated by numbers starting with number 1 
at the bottom in each run. 

34. Yard Entrances. — Entrances to the stair halls are 
shown on either side of the building. The plan shows a slab 
of concrete at the ground level and a stone sill one step above 




20 



READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 



this slab. Double doors opening out are shown at these 
entrances. As these doors are in a fireproof stair hall they 
are indicated as kalamine doors, with wire-glass panels. Over 
each of these doors is a canopy, one of which is seen in the 
Side Elevation; this canopy consists of a sheet-metal roof 
with a metal cornice and gutter all around, and is supported 
at its outer edge by chains that are bolted to the wall, and the 
end of the canopy against the wall is supported on the wall. 
The plan of the canopies can be seen in the Second-Floor 

Plan, the diagonal line indi- 
cating a slight depression 
forming a gutter in the 
roof. 

The yard entrances are 
shown on the First-Floor 
Plan, notwithstanding they 
are a half-story below the 
first-floor level. They will 
therefore not be shown on 
the Basement Plan. 

35. Class Room 

No. 1. — The three class 
rooms opening off the first- 
floor corridor are numbered 
1, 2, and 3 for identifi- 
cation. These rooms are 
^°' practically the samiC in size, 

and each will accommodate about 42 scholars. Each has, in 
connection with it, a wardrobe where the scholars may hang 
their hats and coats, and also deposit umbrellas, rubbers, etc. 
Class room No. 1 is entered from the corridor by a single door 
opening out. This door is marked 2' 10"X7' C Gh. TR., 
meaning that the door is 2 feet 10 inches wide and 7 feet high, 
with a glass panel, and that there is a transom over the door. 

36. Another entrance to the class room is through the 
wardrobe. The door to this wardrobe is the same in size and 
construction as the class-room door, but does not have a tran- 




§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 21 

som. A door from the wardrobe to the class room is also seen 
near the outside wall. This door is double-acting, as the pupils 
will use it when entering and leaving the class room. The 
lower panel of this door, instead of being made solid, is com- 
posed of louvres, or slats, or else a coarse wire mesh, so that 
air can be drawn into the wardrobe and out at the ventilating 
flue. The upper panel may be of glass. Such a door is shown 
in Fig. 11. 

37. Just Inside the class-room door is a bookcase, fitted 
with shelves and drawers. The doors of the bookcase are 
glazed, and are fitted with locks. This bookcase would be con- 
structed from details. 

38. Blackboards are indicated on the sides of the room, 
the indication being a dash-and-dot line. The construction of 
the blackboard is shown in the detail sheet, Fig. 12, which 
will be studied later. 

39. The windows of this class room consist of five double- 
hung windows in one large group. This arrangement provides 
an abundance of light, and reduces the tendency to shadows. 
Mullions are shown between the windows. These muUions 
must contain the weights for the sash, and also I beams as 
shown which support the lintels over the windows. These 
lintels are shown by heavy dot-and-dash lines and are com- 
posed of two 6-inch channels and one 4"X4" angle. This 
lintel is also shown in section in the typical section at the side 
of the Front Elevation as well as in the detail sheet. Fig. 13, 
which will be described later. 

40. Heating and ventilation is provided by means of the 
stacks or ducts between the class rooms and the wardrobes. 
The indications for heating and ventilation given in Reading 
Architects' Blueprints, Part 1, are used here. The flues 
marked B, 1, and 2 show the supply and exhaust ducts. The 
arrows indicate the direction of the air-currents to and from 
these ducts. The arrows having straight shafts are used for 
the supply ducts and those having wavy shafts for the exhaust 
ducts. The registers at the openings to supply ducts are indi- 



22 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

cated by heavy solid lines, and the registers to the exhaust 
ducts by double light lines. The ducts which have no openings 
on the floor are marked with the number of the floor into 
which they open. The walls of these ducts are indicated as 
tile, and are 4 inches in thickness. In the middle of the group 
of ducts next to class room No. 1, are three ducts separated 
by thin lines. These lines represent sheet metal. 

Radiators are shown under the windows, to be used in cold 
weather to supplement the heat furnished by the air ducts. 

41. The class room is lighted artificially by the electric 
lights shown in the ceiling. Just inside the entrance door of 
class room No. 1, at the left, is an indication of three switches, 
with broken lines leading to the various outlets. One switch 
controls one ceiling outlet, another controls the remaining five 
in the class room, and one controls the two outlets in the 
wardrobe. The ceiling outlets in the class room are all indi- 
cated as 4-light, meaning that the wires are large enough to 
feed four lights of 50 watts capacity each. The baseboard 
outlet is for four similar lights, and each of the wardrobe out- 
lets is for two lights. The baseboard outlet may be used for 
a light on the teacher's desk, or for the operation of what- 
ever electrical equipment may be desired, such as a vacuum 
cleaner, magic lantern, etc. 

42. Floor ConstructiorL. — An indication on the floor of 
the class room shows that the floor joists are 2"X14''', spaced 
16 inches on centers, and that they are yellow pine. The 
arrows show the direction in which the joists run. The floor- 
ing will obviously be of wood, since the joists are wood, and 
will be carefully described in the specifications. 

43. Ceiling Constmction. — The ceilings, instead of 
being plastered, are covered solidly with |-inch boarding that is 
tongued and grooved. A metal ceiling is attached to this board- 
ing and forms a fire-resisting ceiling. This construction is indi- 
cated in the section on the Front Elevation, also in Fig. 13. 

44. Wardrobes. — The wardrobes may be entered directly 
from the corridor without passing through the class rooms. 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS '.% 

Along the walls of the wardrobes are hat and coat racks, ai 
detail of which is shown in Fig. 12. Air for ventilating the 
wardrobes enters from the class rooms through the louvres in 
the doors and is drawn out through ducts indicated by the 
arrows having wavy shafts. A window lights each wardrobe. 

45. Class Room No. 2. — Class room No. 2 is similar 
to class room No 1, except that the wardrobe and entrance 
are at the opposite end of the room. In general the same 
indications appear as in class room No. 1. 

46. Class Room No. 3. — Class room No. 3 does not 
differ materially from the class rooms just described, except 
that there are two entrance doors, and the heating and vent 
flues are on the side instead of on the end, and the bookcase 
is on the side of the room. The arrangement of the lighting 
outlets is similar. The chimney extends out into the ward- 
robe for a short distance and is lined with firebrick. Beside 
the chimney is a ventilating flue from the basement. This 
flue has terra-cotta walls, and is arranged to exhaust the air 
from each of the floors. 

47. Slop Sink. — Beside the entrance to the wardrobe 
used in connection with class room No. 3, a slop sink is indi- 
cated. This fixture is for use in drawing and emptying the 
water used in cleaning the first floor. 

48. Broom Closet. — A small closet is built of^ the cor- 
ridor for the purpose of holding the brooms, mops, and other 
equipment used by the janitor or others employed about the 
building. This closet has shelves for the storage of supplies, 
and a lighting outlet, as much of the cleaning will be done 
at night. 

49. Walls. — The walls on the outside of the building 
are brick, the front walls being 20 inches, or five bricks, thick, 
and 12 inches beneath the windows, as shown in Fig. 13. The 
side walls on the plan are 12 inches, or three bricks, thick. 
The walls in the rear of class room No. 3 are of the same 
thickness as the front walls. The walls between the class 
rooms and the stair halls and the corridor are 12 inches thick. 



24 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

The class-room walls that are against the outside of the build- 
ing are furred and plastered, as a precaution against dampness. 

50. Asli-Pit. — Outside the building, near the chimney, 
is shown a concrete slab over the ash-pit which is seen on the 
basement plan. This slab has a cast-iron cover, the top being 
checkered to prevent slipping, and having handles so that it 
can be removed for the purpose of taking out the accum- 
ulated ashes. 

51. Rain Conductors. — On the corners of the building 
are shown the conductors which dispose of the water that 
falls on the roof. These conductors are shown also in the 
elevations. 

52. Dimensions. — The First-Floor Plan is fully dimen- 
sioned. It must be remembered that in actual construction 
the contractor lays out the building from the Basement Plan, 
and by the time the building is erected up to the first-floor 
level, the over-all dimensions of the building are established. 
The over-all dimensions of the first floor will thus be deter- 
mined. The dimensions given on the First-Floor Plan, how- 
ever, are important in locating the openings, partitions, etc., 
on the building, as well as for estimating purposes. A com- 
parison of the First-Floor Plan, with the Basement and the 
Second-Floor Plans, will show the relation of the dimensions. 
It will be excellent practice to check up the measurements 
shown on the First-Floor Plan, by adding up the partial dimen- 
sions, and comparing the results with the total dimensions. 
It will also be good practice to compare the figures on one 
plan with those in the other plans, and find out if the win- 
dows, for instance, are so figured as to come exactly over 
each other in all the plans. 



SECOND-FLOOR PLAN 



53. General Explanation. — The Second-Floor Plan is 
similar to the First-Floor Plan, in most respects. It shows 
three class rooms, located directly over the ones in the First- 
Floor Plan, and these rooms have the same indications as 




i'"i I I I 1 1 I I rrrrr 

3 6 9 12 



KEy TO Materials 
Brick 
Tile 

fVOOD 

Stone 
Terra Cotta- 




Second - Fiooi^ - Pi'An 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 25 

those below. In place of the vestibule, a principal's room is 
shown, 

54. Principal's Room. — The principal's room is entered 
from the corridor by the double doors opening out. A short 
passage is indicated leading to the main part of the room, 
and on either side of the passage are supply closets, for the 
miscellaneous supplies for the class rooms. The supply rooms 
are fitted with shelves, and are lighted by fixed sash through 
which light comes from the principal's room, and artificially 
by ceiling lights controlled by switches operated by the doors. 
When the doors are opened, the lights are turned on auto- 
matically. 

The principal's room is lighted by a triple mullion window, 
the general arrangement of which may be seen on the Front 
Elevation. In one corner of the room is shown a wash basin, 
with a medicine closet placed above it. The room is also 
lighted by a 4-light outlet in the ceiling, and a base-board outlet 
for four lights. 

Fresh warmed air is supplied by the duct that supplies 
class room No. 1 on the first floor. The amount of air needed 
for the principal's room is small, and the duct is ample for 
all ordinary requirements. For very cold days, and for unusual 
conditions, such as a possible break-down of the fan system, 
or the use of the room at night, a radiator is provided under 
the window. The foul air is exhausted through the same 
duct as that from class room No. 4, as indicated by the dotted 
lines passing over the wardrobe connected with class room 
No. 4. 

On the left-hand wall of the room is indicated a telephone 
outlet. From this outlet, the line may be extended to reach 
the principal's desk. The indication on this plan insures its 
being supplied by the contractor, who will consult the architect 
or the principal regarding the exact location desired. 

55. Broora Closet. — A broom closet is indicated off the 
corridor, and a slop-sink at the entrance to the wardrobe of 
class room No. 6. These indications are similar to the cor- 
responding indications in the First-Floor Plan. 



26 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

56. Roofs at Entrances. — On the Second-Floor Plan 
are seen the roofs over the yard entrances. They are shown 
pitching in the directions of the conductors, and the chains 
which support them are shown at each side of the roof. The 
roof of the front entrance is also shown, and is dotted to 
indicate that it is terra cotta. 

57. Stair Halls. — The stair halls differ from the halls 
in the First-Floor Plan in that the stairs are shown in one 
direction only, as there is no stair to the attic or third floor 
in these halls. In the place of the stair going up, there is a 
rail across the end of the well hole. The doors from the stair 
halls to the corridor have side lights for giving additional light 
in the corridor. 

58. Corridor. — The corridor shows double doors opening 
out from the principal's room. It also shows a stair from 
the second floor to the attic. As the attic is used only for 
storage, the stairs need not be so wide as ordinary stairs 
where there is frequent travel. 

59. Dimensions. — As most of the walls and partitions 
are carried up straight from the basement and the first floor, 
there are few dimensions needed, and these are similar to 
those on the First-Floor Plan. The outside dimensions for 
windows and walls are all given, as well as certain inside dimen- 
sions that will fix the location of the various parts. 



BASEMENT PLAN 

60. General Explanation. — The basement is reached 
by means of the stair halls in each end of the building. The 
stair hall at the right opens into the boys' play room and into 
the boiler room. The stair hall at the left opens into the 
girls' play room and into the fan room. From the play rooms, 
doors open into the toilet rooms, and from the boiler room a 
door gives access to the coal storage. 

This plan shows not only the arrangement of the basement 
rooms, walls, windows, and other parts, but it also shows, by 




Key to Materials 

Wmm BRfCK 

CONCRETE 
hbOD 

Stone 



SCAI.£ 

'"' III MMMMI I 



BB274 1842C 



-s'-s- 



-CONDUCTOR^ 




m m 



Basement - fwojz -Pi'AH 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 27 

broken lines, the footings and foundations under the walls 
and other parts. 

61. Walls and Footings. — As this plan will be used 
for laying out the building, it is dimensioned fully. The 
thicknesses of the walls are given in several places, and the 
sections indicate that brick is the material used. By referring 
however to the sections shown with the elevations, it will be 
noted that the brick in the outside walls begins at the bottom 
of the water-table, concrete being used below the water-table. 
The walls, uowever, are of the same thickness for both 
materials. The inside walls, or partitions, are brick down to 
the footings, which are about 4 inches below the finished floor 
line. The walls are calculated for using a standard brick which 
is about 3f inches wide, the brick being laid with a ^-inch 
mortar joint. The wall thicknesses are therefore given as 
multiples of 4 inches, such as 8-, 12-, 16-, and 20-inch. Should 
a larger brick be used, these dimensions would be increased. 

The walls that support the front-entrance steps are shown 
to be 12-inch for the walls carrying the cheeks, and 8-inch 
for the walls which carry the middle portions of the steps. 
Piers 2 feet by 2 feet are shown for the support of the columns 
that carry the front porch. There are openings in these walls 
for access to the space beneath the steps, and these openings 
are covered by iron grilles that permit a circulation of air for 
ventilation. 

Foundation walls for the play ground entrances are shown 
to be 10 inches thick, and made of concrete. 

Footings for all the walls are shown by broken lines inside 
and outside of the walls. Footings are also shown under the 
stacks that contain the heating and ventilating flues from the 
fan to the various rooms, as well as under the pipe columns. 
The width of the footings outside the walls they support are 
indicated at several places, while the sizes of the footings under 
the columns are also given. 

62. Stair Halls. — The First-FIoor Plan shows two fire- 
proof stair halls leading down to the basement. On the Base- 
ment-Floor Plan may be seen the lower ends of these stairs, 



28 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

broken off to show that the remainder of the stair is shown 
on another drawing. The risers are numbered, and arrows 
indicate the direction in which the travel leads to the floor 
above. These stair halls are contained between the same walls 
as on the first and second floors, and consequently are prac- 
tically the same size. 

From the stair hall at the right a single kalamine, or metal- 
covered, 3'6''X7'(y' door with a wire-glass panel leads to 
the boiler room. A pair of double-acting doors, each 
2" 6"yj' CK' with wire-glass panels, lead to the boys' play room. 

From the stair hall at the left, a single 3' 6''X7'' 0" door leads 
to the fan room. This door also has a wire-glass panel, as indi- 
cated by the letters W. G. A pair of double-acting doors open 
from this hall to the girls' play room. These doors also have 
wire-glass panels. 

Both of these halls are lighted by casement windows, which 
are placed high in the wall so as to be above the ground level, 
as the basement floor is below the ground level. Ceiling out- 
lets, each provided for two electric and two gas lights are 
shown in the halls. 

63. Play Rooms. — There are two play rooms shown in 
the Basement Floor Plan. The one on the right is for the 
boys and the one on the left is for the girls. These rooms 
are directly below the class rooms No. 1 and No. 2. Double- 
hung windows are shown in the fronts of these rooms, similar 
in width to the windows over them in the first and second 
floors. The construction of these windows is seen in the 
section at the left of the Side Elevation. Windows are shown 
in the end walls, the width of the brick opening being shown 
on the plans. A brick mullion 2 feet wide separates the pairs 
of windows. 

Each play room is lighted by six electric ceiling outlets, 
with four Hghts in each. These are on two circuits, as indi- 
cated by the broken lines connecting the outlets with the 
switches just inside the doors. 

Each play room may be heated by hot-air registers in the 
duct stacks as indicated. These registers will be closed when 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 29 

the play rooms are not in use, and so will not take the heat 
from the class rooms during the hours that the class rooms 
are occupied. Each play room has a register to the same 
vent flue that takes care of the adjoining toilet room. 

64. Toilet Rooms. — The girls' toilet room, which is 
entered from the girls' play room, has indications of six high- 
tank water closets, a slop sink, and three lavatories. The 
water closet stalls are enclosed with slate partitions and with 
doors opening out. A casement window opening in is located 
over the lavatories, and the room is lighted by two ceiling 
outlets. These lights are controlled from the switchboard in 
the boiler room, as indicated by the light lines leading to the 
board. 

In the boys' toilet room, entered from the boys' play room, 
are a slop sink, three lavatories, six high-tank water closets, 
and a set of urinals. The type or style of these fixtures would 
be described in the specifications. 

Each toilet room is heated from a register in the duct sup- 
plying the stacks leading to the class rooms. The toilet rooms 
are ventilated by registers to the stacks indicated by the wavy 
arrows. 

65. Boiler Room. — In the boiler room, a boiler is indi- 
cated by a rectangle the approximate size of the boiler required, 
with the word Boiler on it. One end of the boiler is con- 
nected with the chimney by a curved smoke pipe, the arrows 
indicating the direction in which the smoke travels. At the 
side of the boiler is a circle representing a 5-inch pipe column 
on a footing 2' (y'X2' 0''. This column carries a steel girder, 
indicated by dot-and-dash lines. This girder is directly under 
a partition in the first and second floors. Under the wall of 
the corridor is an indication of a 5-inch pipe column on a 
S'CK'XS'O'' footing. This column helps to carry a steel girder 
on which the partition walls in the first and second floors are 
carried. In the boiler room is seen an indication of a stand- 
pipe and hose rack. There is also an indication of a sink 
and a switchboard or panel board which controls the lights on 
this floor. The circuits are indicated by broken lines. 



30 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

Near the boiler is the chimney, which is Hned with firebrick. 
An ash-pit is located just outside the building, in which cans 
of ashes can be stored until the ashes are carted away. A 
clean-out door is shown in the base of the chimney. 

Doors are shown connecting the boiler room with the stair 
hall, the coal storage, and the fan room. 

66. Coal Storage. — The space for coal storage is entered 
by a door from the boiler room. Coal is placed in the coal 
storage through a coal chute as indicated. The room is lighted 
by double-hung windows, and by a drop light near the door. 

In the side wall of the coal storage is shown an indication 
of an opening covered by an iron grille. This is for the pur- 
pose of supplying fresh air to the heating apparatus through 
a duct. The duct is close to the ceiling and is curved as shown 
by thin solid lines. The arrows show the direction of the 
air-current. 

67. Fan Room. — The fan room contains the apparatus 
for heating the air for the building, and a fan for forcing the 
air through the ducts. The fan also draws the air into the 
fan room through the fresh-air intake. An electric motor is 
shown which operates the fan. These indications are sufficient 
to show the contractor where the apparatus will be located, and 
the general nature of the apparatus required. Plans for the 
heating and ventilating plant will be prepared separately, either 
by the contractor doing that work, or by an engineer especially 
trained in heating and ventilating work. The work of install- 
ing the heating and ventilating apparatus is also done by a con- 
tractor making a specialty of this work. This contractor gen- 
erally prepares his own plans. The architect must, however, 
understand these plans sufficiently well to provide space for 
the necessary ducts and flues, also for holes in the walls 
through which the ducts pass. 



Front - Elevation 



Scale 



f{ Ey TO MkrsjsMLs 

\-'--''-:^l:A Stone 
I I fACE Brjck 

I.- VI TkSJ^A, COTTA- 
f^^ J'ffEET METAI. 

^'■^■a.^^ Concrete 



Copper, J5/dge and Cl 




Earth-' 

BRO/CEN STONEn 



I L T 44S BB274 1842C 



rfiN. Bks ^MENT —^ 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 31 



FRONT ELEVATION 

68. The Front Elevation shows the various features that 
appear in the front of the building, such as doors, windows, 
the porch and the roof. It shows that the wall is composed 
of brick and the trimmings of cut stone, and that the orna- 
mental canopy, or hood, forming the front porch is of terra 
cotta. The roof is indicated as slate with the hips and ridges 
of copper. A cupola for the bell is indicated to be covered 
with copper. A cornice is shown with brackets, and dormer 
windows with slate roofs and copper hips, ridges, and finials. 

Below the finished grade, the walls and footings are indi- 
cated in broken lines. 

09. At the left side of the elevation is drawn a section 
through the front wall which shows the relation between the 
elevation and the story heights. This section is taken at a 
point where it will give the most information about the con- 
struction of the wall. Thus, at a is shown a section through 
the concrete footings of the wall. At b is the concrete founda- 
tion wall, at c is a section through the window sill of the base- 
ment window. These sills form part of the water-table. At d 
is a section through the basement window, and at e the window 
lintel and the method of supporting the floor joists are shown. 
A section through the first-floor window is shown at /, the 
lintel and floor construction at g, a section through the second- 
floor windows at h, and a section through the main cornice at i. 

This section represents a cut taken through any of the 
class-room windows shown in the Front Elevation. 

70. A line of figures extending vertically through the win- 
dows of all floors shows the relation of the floor levels to the 
window openings. These figures should be calculated so that 
the tops and bottoms of the window openings and the top and 
bottom joints of the stone sills and lintels will coincide with 
the joints of the brickwork. So that there shall be no error 
in this matter, a line of dimensions in terms of brick courses 
is sometimes given, as shown at the right-hand side of the 
window group. In this line the basement window is marked 



32 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

21 c, or 21 courses in height. Each brick course is considered 
as 2| inches, consequently the basement window opening must 
be 21X2f in. = 57f inches = 4 feet 9| inches. The distance 
between the window openings of the basement and first-floor 
windows is 5 c + 16 c+3 c = 24 c. 24X2f in. = 5 feet 6 inches. 
The Hntel of the basement window is marked 5 c and is 
5X2fin. = 13f inches in height. The sill of the first-story 
windows is 3 c, or 3X2f in. = 8^ inches high. The first-floor 
window is 39 c, or 39X2|in. =8 feet 11^ inches in height. 

71. This will show the method used in obtaining the 
various dimensions given in the line through the windows. 
By using these figures the brickwork will lay up in uniform 
courses, and the sills and lintels will work in perfectly with 
these courses. 

72. In detailing the terra-cotta work around the entrance 
porch, the same method must be used. The blocks of terra 
cotta should be made so that they will fit in with the brick- 
work. The details of the columns and cornice of the porch 
should be designed with reference to the brick courses. On 
this small drawing this has not been done but on a larger-scale 
detail it can readily be accomplished. 

73. Main Entrance. — In the middle of tJhe front is seen 
the main entrance, reached by the flight of stone steps, as 
already mentioned in connection with the discussion of the 
First-Floor Plan. The newels are here seen in elevation, and 
a very good idea can be obtained of the appearance of the 
door and of the terra-cotta porch columns and trim around 
the opening. The design of the lantern and the ornamental 
metal scrolls that support it are clearly indicated. Plate glass 
is used in the entrance doors as well as in the side lights and 
transoms. This is indicated by the letters P. G. This entrance 
would be executed from scale drawings and full-size drawings. 
An example of a working drawing for the terra-cotta work 
is given in Reading Architects' Blueprints, Part 1. 

74. "Walls and Openings. — The walls of the building 
are indicated as being constructed of brick with stone trim- 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 33 

mlngs. As has been pointed out, these brick are to be laid 
2f inches from center to center of joint. This size should be 
decided upon before starting to draw the elevation, so that 
the stonework and the brickwork will work in together. The 
kind of brick is generally selected from samples of dififerent 
kinds and is specified to be like the chosen sample. The bond 
to be used in laying the brick should also be carefully specified, 
and if it is an unusual or fancy bond, should be shown on a 
detail. 

75. The windows in school buildings are generally placed 
in groups, and the various state laws require that they shall 
be in area equal to a certain percentage of the floor area. The 
heads should be as close to the ceiling as possible. In this 
case the windows, except two in the basement, are all double- 
hung, and in the class rooms are arranged with mullions 
between them. The windows have stone lintels and sills, 
which are shown on both the elevations and in the sections. 
It will be noticed that the basement windows in the toilet 
rooms have casement windows opening in, and each sash con- 
tains four lights. The remaining windows in the basement 
are known as six-light, three lights being placed in each sash. 

In the first story the windows are of two sizes. The win- 
dows in the wardrobes are narrow twelve-light windows, and 
the windows in the class rooms are wider, but of the same 
height, and have eighteen lights. The class-room windows are 
arranged in sets of five, with mullions between as already 
mentioned. 

In the second story, the windows are the same as in the 
first story, with the addition of a triple mullion window in 
the principal's room. These windows are of the same size 
as those in the class rooms. 

In the roof there are seen two dormer windows, in the 
fronts of which are double-hung sash, each window having 
twelve lights. 

7G. Cornice and Roof. — The cornice is shown in the 
section as well as in the elevation, and is indicated to be cf 
yrood. This cornice will be fully detailed, so much attention 



34 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § 7 

need not be given to it here, but enough is shown on the draw- 
ing to permit the contractor to make his estimate. At the 
edge of the roof is shown a gutter built into the cornice. This 
may be of copper, or of wood lined with copper, or it may be 
formed of galvanized iron. Goosenecks, connecting the gutter 
with the conductors are shown at the corners of the building. 
They are more clearly seen on the Side Elevation. Each 
gooseneck terminates in an ornamental head at the top of 
the conductor, and ornamental bands secure the conductor to 
the building. 

A hipped roof is shown over the entire building and it is 
covered with slate. There is a break in the roof about 6 feet 
above the eaves, which gives the roof a somewhat bell-shaped 
appearance. Two dormer windows are shown, with roofs 
similar to the main roof, and side views of similar dormers are 
seen at the end of the building. 

77. Cupola. — In the center of the ridge is an octagonal 
cupola, with louvres, or slats, arranged to exhaust the air 
from the building. This cupola can also be used to hold a 
bell if required. The ducts shown in the floor plans lead to 
this cupola, in order that the wind blowing past the cupola 
may aid the fan in forcing the foul air out of the building. 
The ridge and the cupola are marked to be made of copper, 
but may, however, be formed of galvanized iron. 



SIDE ELEVATION 

78. On the Side Elevation is seen a side view of the front 
steps and the porch. The design of the railing is indicated 
rather vaguely, but the scale details which are given later on 
by the architect should show the design completely. A grille 
or ornamental iron screen is shown under the porch. 

The canopy over the porch is here shown. The footings 
and foundation walls also are indicated and the depth to which 
they extend. 

79. The outside of the wall of class rooms No. 2 and 
No. 4 is shown paneled. This effect is obtained by projecting 



JiDE -Elevation 

cnn M M 1 1 M I D 

O 3 6 9 12 

K ek to Matsjsmls 

JYON£ 

Face Be/ck 

Te/sra Cotta 
^^^ Sheet Metal. 
Wim^ Brick 
SSSI Concrete 




I L T 448 BB274 1842C 




/'COMDUCTOR^ 



■Metal Chain' 




§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 35 

slightly a border of stretchers and one of headers as shown. 
Small blocks of stone are indicated at the corners. Ornamental 
panels are also shown at each side of the large panel. These 
are formed by projecting bands of brick and pieces of stone 
or colored tile. 

80. An elevation of the rear wing is shown on the right 
side of this elevation. It contains a window to the boiler 
room and windows to the wardrobes of two of the class 
rooms. 

The chimney, which is shown projecting above the roof, 
is carried above the top of the roof so as to assure a proper 
draft. Back of the chimney where it leaves the roof is shown 
a cricket, which directs snow and rain past the chimney. The 
cricket is covered with sheet metal and is flashed up under- 
neath the slate. 

The remaining indications will be clear. They should, how- 
ever, be studied in connection with the plans until all the 
indications are thoroughly understood. 

81. At the left of the elevation is given a section to show 
the story heights and the general construction of the paneled 
wall. 



INTERIOR DETAILS 

82. Blackboards and wardrobes are special features of 
schoolhouses, therefore a sheet of details showing how such 
fittings are made is given in Fig. 12. It will be seen that the 
manner of representation is similar to that employed in the 
drawings that have already been discussed. 

83. Detail of a Blackboard. — In Fig. 12 are shown the 
details of the blackboards of the school building that has been 
described. The blackboard proper, on which the writing is 
done, consists of slabs of slate held in a wooden frame in the 
manner shown. 

In (a) is shown a section taken vertically through the wall 
of the class room to which the blackboard is attached. At a is 
a section through the chalk trough or chalk rail, at & a section 



p?#ss§s5pps»ss§s?sm5* 


[O 


o 


O 


O 


o- 






(t> 


















1 


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■1 




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X 1 




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'-^ 


1 



(c) 



Keenej- Cement 



(a) 



(9) i=i'-o" '^^ 

DETAILS OF BMCKB0A2DS , HAT c? COAT 

MCKJ, mB2TllA MCKS & FIOOR TROUGH 



Fig. 12 



36 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 37 

through the cap rail, at c a horizontal section through the 
slate, showing the enclosing frame, and the plan of the chalk 
trough. 

These sections are shown at a much larger scale in (&). 
At a are shown grounds, or strips of wood, that are attached 
to the brick wall. These grounds are spiked to the brick wall 
and must be made true and secure. To the grounds, the fin- 
ished wood frame is fastened. The bottom rail on which the 
slate is supported consists of three strips of molded wood 
b, c, and d. The strip d forms a chalk trough which has a 
depression in its top surface to contain pieces of chalk. 

The slate e is placed against the grounds a and a molding / 
is nailed to d to hold the slate in place. The slate is 
secured in a similar manner at the top. The strip g supports 
a shelf i with a molding h under it. The shelf is grooved to 
prevent drawings or other objects from slipping off it. The 
molding ;' closes the joint where the shelf meets the wall. The 
ground k affords good nailing for this shelf. 

In (c) is shown an elevation of one end of the blackboard 
and its frame showing how it can be finished off in a satis- 
factory manner. 

As the slabs of slate are short, it is necessary to use two or 
more sheets to form a long blackboard. The sheets are butted 
together as illustrated in {d). Where the sheets come together 
they are generally rubbed down so that the adjoining surfaces 
are flush, as at a. At such joints, the grounds b are made 
^ inch in thickness and the plates are adjusted by wedges 
which are then nailed in place. 

84. Details of Wardrobe. — ^At the bottom of the sheet 
in Fig. 12 are shown the details of the fittings of a wardrobe 
such as is attached to each class room. In {e) is an elevation 
of a portion of the wardrobe. In (/) is a plan of the umbrella 
holder, and in {g) is a section through the wall of the ward- 
robe room showing the relation of the various fittings. 

In {e) at the floor is a trough to take the water that drips 
from umbrellas. A section through this trough is shown 
at d in {g). The umbrellas are held erect by holes in the 



38 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS § Y 

shelf b. A plan of these holes is shown in (/). The shelf 
is supported by the brackets c in (e) and (g). At a in (^), 
and (g) is a hat rack with hat hooks. The walls behind these 
fixtures should be of very hard plaster, such as Keene's 
cement, and should also be painted with oil paint. 

Rubbers may be placed on top of the trough at the floor. 

85. Section Througli Front Wall. — In Fig. 13 is a 
detail showing a section taken through the front wall of the 
schoolhouse. The section is taken through the window of 
the class room and shows at a larger scale what was shown on 
the section that appeared on the same sheet as the Front 
Elevation. 

In the upper part of Fig. 13 is a section through the main 
cornice of the building, showing the construction of the roof 
and the upper part of the wall. At a is a 2''X10" rafter of 
yellow pine. The indications show that these rafters are 
spaced 20 inches, center to center. The foot of the rafter 
rests on the plate b, which consists of two 2-inch planks that 
are bolted to the wall. 

A brace c anchors the foot of the rafter to the floor beams. 

The cornice is framed by the lookouts d and e, which are 
joined by the piece /. The lookout e is spiked to the side of 
the piece g, which is in turn spiked to the wall. Upon this 
rough framing the cornice is secured. Matched boarding is 
nailed on top of d to hold the slate, and to the under side of e 
to form a soffit to which the wood brackets are nailed. A meta' 
gutter is secured to the front of this construction and is molded 
so as to form a cornice. 

In the elevation to the left of this section is shown an indi- 
cation of the sheet-metal gutter and a front elevation of one 
of the wood brackets. 

86. The floor construction of the third, or attic, floor is 
indicated. The joists are 2"'X12"', spaced 16 inches center 
to center, and of yellow pine. The ends bear upon a steel 
girder, which is composed of two channels. These ends are 
shown splayed, having what is known as a fire cut, which 
in case of fire permits the beam to fall out without destroying 




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= 



§ 7 READING ARCHITECTS' BLUEPRINTS 39 

the wall. A strap anchor which holds the end of the beam to 
the girder is also shown. One of these anchors is attached to 
every second or third floor joist, and helps to tie the con- 
struction together. A single floor is shown on top of these 
joists, and a board ceiling covered with a metal ceiling on the 
under side. A stone lintel h is shown resting upon an angle 
iron that is riveted to the steel lintel and to the columns. The 
lintel is anchored at the top and at the ends of the stones as 
shown at i. Below the steel lintel is a section through a double- 
hung window. 

87. The construction of the second floor is similar to that 
of the attic floor, with the exception that two thicknesses of 
flooring are shown. 

At y is a plan of a mullion which occurs between the class- 
room windows. An I beam which supports the weight of the 
floors and the masonry between the head of the window and 
sills of the one above, is shown encased in a wooden box which 
also contains the weights for balancing the sash. 

At fe is a section through the jamb of a class-room window, 
the elements of which have been already described. 

At the left of the sheet is an elevation of part of a window ; 
also part of a mullion /. 

88. In the lower left-hand corner of the sheet is a detail 
of the ironwork construction which is used to form the large 
window openings of the class rooms. 

At m is an elevation of the base of one of the I-beam 
columns, which extend up through the mullions of the win- 
dow groups in the class rooms. 

At w is a plan of the I-beam column. At o is a section 
through a lintel over the window, as shown in the section 
through the wall. 

At /> is a view of the base of the I-beam column viewed from 
the front, at ^r is a plan of the same and at r is a front view 
of part of the lintel shown in o. 

At .? is a plan of the lintel as it rests on the wall at the side 
of the window group, and at t is an elevation of the same as 
viewed from the front. 



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